Head Over Heels
by ofbooksandnature
Summary: WARNING! Do not read unless you have read The Heir, the newest addition to Kiera Cass's trilogy. This is the story of Princess Eadlyn and her life continued from The Heir.
1. Chapter 1

**_WARNING!_** **Please don't read this if you haven't finished reading The Heir, Kiera Cass's newest addition to The Selection trilogy. It was simply amazing, I just finished it and had a personal favorite selected that I wanted to write about. So please enjoy my addition to the rather abrupt ending of The Heir. I loved the book, don't get me wrong, I just wished she would of written more. Anyways, enjoy what I had added. I hope you like it.**

 **PLEASE READ THIS NOTE: If you want to imagine the outfits I describe for you that Eadlyn has, I have the name you should google image search at the end of the story for you to check out, sorry and happy reading~**

Eadlyn's POV

I took a long look in the mirror at my latest design. Neena made my simple design so much more spectacular for my date. I don't know how she did it, she had such good taste in the fashion world. We shared that in common. I smoothed out the airy, sky blue dress that clung to me just right. It had Cut-out triangles on the side, exposing a small portion of my tanned skin and had thin straps holding it up. It was simply beautiful, Neena did a wonderful job turning my vision into something real.

I had a date with Hale today, the first date I will go on since Mom had a heart attack. She was doing much better lately, but was still resting in bed. Daddy wouldn't let her leave, insisting all work that he needed to get done be brought to their room so he could make sure she was okay. I admired their relationship so much, and I secretly always wanted what they had. I just never had the guts to admit that to myself. But after the thought of losing Mom right after losing Ahren, I realized that I needed more people to love in my life. And I was determined to find The One.

My date with Hale consisted of brunch in the gardens. I felt like somehow, mom's scare made me want to be closer to her and I knew the gardens always brought her solace and peace when she needed it. I felt like if I had a date there, the stress and nerves that overflew in me like a volcano during dates would lessen. I don't know why I had such a big problem with me opening myself to others. The mental wall I built around myself was so high I don't think I even know how to start taking it down. I met Hale in front of the garden's doors. He was dressed in a light blue dress shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves and had the top button undone. He paired this stylish shirt with black dress pants and shoes.

"You look stunning Eadlyn." he said so softly it was almost a whisper.

"You clean up well yourself. You look almost as good as I do." I said daringly, knowing that the only way I would get through this competition would be to be myself all the time. No barriers, no lies.

He smiled to himself, almost in approval of his answer before answering, "I don't think I ever even come close to your beauty Eadlyn."

I was flattered by his comment, and blushed a little, looking down at my feet. It felt nice to just express my feelings, rather than keep them bottled up inside me. It felt like a large weight was lifted off my chest whenever I just felt. He pulled out my chair for me on the patio in the garden. A sweet little brunch was set up for us. We skipped breakfast together and slept in a little bit on our own. We then met up for a late meal together. Biscuits, fruit, sausage, eggs, bacon, juice, milk, everything yummy was set out for us to dig right into.

"Thank you, Eadlyn, for inviting me out on this date. Our first and last date didn't go too well, and for that I'm truly sorry-"

"Stop, Hale. It was my fault that date ended so quickly and rudely. I do like you. And I'm hoping this date will make up for the last one. I'm not ready to talk about everything with you yet, it takes time for me. I just don't open up quickly." I said shyly, heat flushing my cheeks. I didn't want to talk about this, but I felt like I had no other choice but to truthfully talk together.

"Let's move past it." He said strongly, but sweetly. I nodded, "I'd love that."

A few hours later, Still in Eadlyn's POV

My date with Hale was sweet. We talked about things like designing clothing, and our favorite parts of the palace. Even though he knew I was trying to open up, he didn't push me with the hard things. He mostly created small talk that he knew I was comfortable with. He was amazing that way. But the date felt awkward, and oddly unsatisfying though. I felt like the whole time we were together that I was in foreign grounds. The gardens were my parents place. It felt like I was violating there memories with this sweet but awkward date.

I was heading back up to my room to put away my sketches that I had shared with Hale today. I was walking to my room when I saw Kile closing the door to his old room. He had sketches of his own in his hand. That dorky crooked grin I had grown so fond of spread across his face. I couldn't help but smile back at him, he looked so gosh darn cute with his ruffled up hair. But I could feel my eyes being drawn to those soft lips that I wanted to crash against mine. I shook my head ever so slightly to myself, as if to stop myself from feeling that. Kile was a friend, at the least. The kisses I received from him were only because of something that had to happen. They didn't mean anything I told myself.

"How are you?" I asked politely, stopping to talk when we met up.

"Good, just grabbing some old sketches to look at. You?"

"Good, just had a date with Hale." His face dropped the slightest bit but returned to its goofy self when I asked, "Can I look at some of your sketches?"

He nodded happily as tugged his arm to his room. I felt comfortable there, it felt like a home rather than a house there.

We plopped down on his soft couch after shutting the door. I examined the different sketches he had in his hands and commented on the ones I loved more than words could describe. He would look up at me for approval every now and then when the moments got silent.

We had been looking at his work for what felt like hours before he looked up at me again. When he did I pressed my lips to his and kissed him harder than I intended to. "Ow" he mumbled between a kiss. I pulled back immediately and stared into his eyes. "Sorry. My lip's a little sore still." he said. Not sorry for talking in the middle of our kiss, but because that word had ended it so quickly. "No, I'm sorry." I said softly. My eyes not leaving his.

"Where was that from?" He asked with a cute smirk on his face.

"I've decided to stop hiding my feelings. I'm much happier when I don't." I said firmly.

"Oh really?" he said. I nodded, a giggle escaping me. "And what do you want to do right now?"

"This." I said with playful face. I smashed my lips against his. I tilted my head to the right and ran my hands through his hair once before resting my arms wrapped around his neck. As he kissed me, he used his hands on my back to pull me closer to him until I was sitting right in his lap. It was kind of an odd, new situation for me, but I couldn't describe the euphoria I felt.

Our mouths moved against each other heatedly, a hot passion that I didn't know was capable of being felt. Not breaking our kisses, he used one hand to lower me beneath him, hovering about the couch. He used the other hand to forcefully throw aside all the sketches that cluttered the couch. Once it was clear he rested me gently underneath him. Our kisses slowed down, not becoming more bored, but more meaningful. They turned from a white hot fire into melted sugar, something so sweet I felt myself swoon. He rested on top of me, but hovered slightly, to keep himself from crushing my delicate body. His hands combed through my dark hair as he kissed me. I felt limp in his embrace, like a puppet only he could control. His hands rested in my hair as he left a small trail of kisses from my mouth to my chin to my neck to my chest. I felt goose bumps raise on my arms. I was not princess, queen to be right now. I did not have duties to fulfill right now. I did not have a Selection that toyed with my heart and mind. I had Kile. I had his love. And I couldn't ask for anything more.

He slowly made his way back up to my lips and left a long, heart fluttering kiss on my lips before pulling up. I kept my eyes closed, wanting to hold on to this moment forever. As my eyes remained shut, he brushed back fallen pieces of my hair behind my ear. He kissed my nose and I opened my eyes to find him already staring into them with a look so boyish, yet so masculine. I felt like a china doll in his arms, so beautiful and so delicate. A blush rose to my cheeks and he smiled. We didn't need to say anything. He pulled me back up on top of him, my heart and body took over my mind as I straddled my legs around him, crashing my lips to his again. I couldn't help myself. I had to have more of him. He kissed me harder, more aggressively than before while standing up effortlessly with my legs around him. He walked me over to the wall where he pressed my back against it. My legs fell from being around him to the ground, where I weakly stood. The only thing that was holding me up was his body. He left no room between myself and him. His large hand held my face up to his while the other held the wall, ensuring I stayed right where he wanted me. I couldn't believe this was happening. My date with Hale completely disappeared from my mind, and I didn't feel an ounce of guilt knowing he was nothing like Kile.

Our breathing intensified, getting more and more passionate. I couldn't take it, I needed more of him. It was like an unquenchable thirst inside me. Reading my thoughts, he lifted me off the ground over to his bed. As forcefully as he picked me up, he threw me down onto his bed. It wasn't rough, just assertive. I liked it. Not one of the Selected had ever taken the reigns when with me. This act of masculinity made me feel even more adored and feminine than he already made me feel. He looked at me with eyes that had slight hesitation in them. Like he needed to make sure he wasn't overstepping his grounds. I nodded at him. I was laid out on the bed while he stood at the edge, looking at me with adoring eyes. I sat up and grabbed the lapel of his shirt and pulled him down onto me, kissing him again. Every kiss felt different, yet equally amazing, and equally full of tenderness, fierceness, and passion at the same time.

As much as I loved that he was being a little aggressive with me, I was going to be queen. So I had to take the reigns back. I rolled him over to where he was underneath me then broke the kiss, my delicate but forceful hand on his large chest. With the other hand I shook my finger at him as if he had been a naughty boy.

"Now, I can't let you get too rough with me now can I. If I come out of here looking too ruffled up, people might question what's really going on in here." I said playfully.

With a frustrated look, he said, "And what exactly is going on in here?" His frustration turned into an excuse to kiss me before I could respond. He pulled me back on top of him, our lips molding to each others in a much softer way than they had a minute ago. These kisses were longer, more full of sweetness. I sat up with him, my legs once again wrapped around him. My dress lifted up as we moved, exposing my stomach and the small shorts hidden under my dress. His eyes caught my exposed skin and he brushed it with his thumb softly. A small wave of panic fluttered through my head before he pulled my dress back down, and resumed our kiss. Relief swept over me that he had respect for me. What was wrong with this boy? I tried to muster up any problem that he actually had but I couldn't find anything that justified my indifference towards him as a child.

Our kissing comes to an end when my stomach gurgles quite louder than I expected. A laugh escaped him, breaking our lips apart from each other. "Hungry much?" He asked. He continued to laugh at me, but I knew it was a harmless laugh so I joined in, giggling.

"I guess so. I didn't eat much earlier. I didn't want to seem like a pig." I said innocently. But Kile looked slightly upset when I briefly mentioned my date earlier. As to confirm his feelings for me and to confirm that I was _his,_ and his alone, he pressed his lips to mine, and parted once before going in again. Once he pulled back to finish, he left his nose against mine and his eyes closed before telling me, "Let's go get lunch. You sound like you need it." He said with a laugh, the air more light again.

"Let's take it in my room shall we?" I said, with hope in my voice that he would join me alone. I wanted his presence still, even though my lips were a little tired from our...heated moments together.

 **Did you like it? I hope you did. I realize it's kind of odd to have two dates in one chapter and the romance between Eadlyn and Kile was much longer than I expected so sorry if it kind of went on for a while. Once I start writing its hard to tell when I'm going to stop. Review for any suggestions, comments, or critiques. Thanks for reading.**

 **Dress: Google Search: Cute Sweetheart Light Sky Blue Short Sleeveless Baby doll Prom Dresses Sale zkdress24781**

 **It should be the first one you see!**


	2. Chapter 2

I practically skipped down the hallway with Eadlyn as we headed to my room. Neena brightens up as she sees Eadlyn but her happy face turns into a smirk when she sees who she dragged along. "Good afternoon, Eadlyn," She said suggestively. Eadlyn smiled at her with a daring look in her eyes as if to tell her to quit the teasing.

"Good afternoon, Neena." She said with slight tension in her voice. "Could you please alert the staff that Sir Kile in I will take lunch in my room today. Thank you."

She gave me an evil eye along with a smirk and then curtsied before leaving the room. The second she shut the door to Eadlyn's room, I found my lips crashing against hers. I wrapped my large arms around her tiny waist and held her close to me. She laced her own arms around my neck and molded her small frame into mine.

She pulled away but kept her nose against mine and whispered, "Ki, there's someone watching us, I can feel it."

"What?" I asked, "Who would be watching us."

"The balcony is open. I can feel someone staring into the back of my head. Please just look over the balcony. I can feel it." She said. "Be discreet though."

I pulled my face up from hers; she rested her head on my chest, giving me a chance to see what this feeling was about. I kept my head looking down at her before I nonchalantly looked up and out of the balcony. Sure enough, Hale stood in the gardens below, looking at us. His stare was more menacing than I could have ever imagined possible from him. He looked vengeful, he looked murderous.

I lifted her head up towards me and kissed her so softly I felt her dip a little. I held her up against me and said, "There's no one there, Eadlyn."

A moment later, a knock sounded on the door. "Eadlyn it's me, Neena. Is it okay if I come in now?"

"Yes of course, Neena. Come in." Eadlyn said, a small blush rising in her cheeks. Neena trailed in, suppressing a smile with a tray of lunch for both of us. She set it down and then curtsied before leaving us again. Eadlyn dashed to the tray and shoved some fruit in her mouth faster than I could blink. She sat down; her eyes closed, and enjoyed her food. I smiled at her; I loved how comfortable she felt around me. Like she didn't have to be Miss Perfect all the time, and she didn't have to be that, not with me.

"Please, eat with me," She said with soft eyes, "Don't make me look like a bigger pig than I already am right now." She took another bite of her croissant sandwich.

I sat down next to her and began to eat just a little bit. I had some wine but wasn't feeling too hungry. We ate in silence, allowing the sound of our mouths chewing and sipping to fill the awkwardness.

The second we finished lunch, Eadlyn walked away and into her bathroom. She shut the door without speaking a word to me and I laughed a little to myself. How had I gotten here? Eating lunch and making out with the Queen to be of Illea? Two weeks ago, I found myself dying to get away from her. But now, I couldn't stand the thought of being away from her. Other than the fact that kissing her was complete bliss, I didn't want to say goodbye to that sweet personality I loved so much. I wondered to myself how I thought she was sweet, but then I realized she was sweet all along. She had a sweet, gooey center protected by a bitter and hard shell. She didn't let many people into that gooeyness. But she let me in.

She came back out of the bathroom a minute later and came back out. "Want to go see a movie?" I asked. The first thing that came to her mind when I said movies was Jack. I know it was hard for her to go back there so soon, but I wanted to erase the memory of him and replace it with ones of me.

She looked worried, almost scared when I asked that. "Um… sure." She said softly and hesitantly.

I immediately stood up and walked over to her. I towered over her, her head ending just before my chin. I kissed her forehead slowly and grabbed her hands. "It's okay if you don't want to."

"I know, but I do." She said sternly. "I want to go with you."

She took my hand and squeezed before running with me out of the room and down the hall. She giggled along the way as we went down flight after flight of stairs. I laughed with her, easily keeping the pace that I could see she struggled with in heels. She stopped and took them off, but I swept her up into my arms and continued down the stairs with her. She laughed harder and harder as we descended and as I stumbled. We finally reached the underground floor and I headed into the movie theatre. I knew where it was, considering I grew up here. I carried her all the way over to the row of seats I knew she liked best, she like to put her feet up on the metal rail. She smiled affectionately as I set her down in the plush red cushion and pecked her cheek before surprising her with a long kiss on the mouth. "Stay here." I said quickly. Without letting her say anything I dashed to the projector and looked for a movie to put in.

"And why did you think that leaving me back there alone after that kiss was a good idea?" she whispered in my ear. I ignored her for a second, acting as if I couldn't hear her. "Kile!" she laughed and punched my arm. "Hey, mister!" she squealed.

I continued to ignore her, an inevitable smile creeping on my face. She poked my stomach, kissed my neck, and stuck her face in front of mine. "I told you to stay there!" I said, whipping around to her and kissed her forcefully. I remembered her awful associations with the theater and then stopped. I wanted to be gentle with this, not anything like Jack had been. I kissed her one more time, gentler and softer though.

I cupped her face with my hands and then kissed her hair. She kept her eyes closed then jumped onto me for a hug. I held her close, holding her to me with my hands on her back. A deep breath sounded from her as she took me in. I transferred one of my hands to the back of her head and ran my fingers through her hair. I knew she was probably frightened that this date would turn out like the last one she had here. I just wanted to be there for her the way no one else was.

"I love you." She whispered so softly I wouldn't have been able to hear it if she wasn't literally on top of me.

"I love you too." I said a bit louder, ensuring that she heard it. Tension in her released and she tightened her grip on me. We stood for a minute like this, not leaving each other's embrace. We finally decided to watch the movie and oddly enough, she picked a horror movie. I don't know what possessed her to do so because she hated horror movies, but she insisted that we watch it.

I finally understood why she chose it, half way into the movie. The horror movie gave her an excuse to stay cuddled up against me the entire time. It gave her an excuse to snuggle into my side if something scary happened.

I looked down at her, she was lost in me, I couldn't see her face and assumed that she fell asleep. She hadn't moved in forever and didn't jump like she usually did when something scary happened. I stroked her soft, dark hair and her face. She was so beautiful, why hadn't I seen it before now.

I heard a soft, "Ahem," to my right and looked over at a shadow in the dark.

The lights turned on and the movie paused. Hale stood with a menacing look plastered on his face as he stared at Eadlyn. "What are you doing here Hale?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same." He said with a grimace.

"I am on a date with Eadlyn right now." I said cautiously. I carefully stood up, trying to keep Eadlyn asleep. "Like I said, what are you doing here Hale?"

"Oh, I wanted to talk to Eadlyn. I was going to surprise her outside of her room in the gardens but she was…busy. I'm sure you know what I mean." He said suggestively. I felt anger boiling over in me, he had no right to be spying on us earlier.

"She's asleep right now. And like I said, we're on a date, so if you could please leave." I said, gesturing to the door.

"Tell her I need to speak with her. It's important." He said oddly. He then left the theater abruptly. I lifted Eadlyn into my arms as she slept and left with her in my arms.

"Is he gone?" I heard her faintly whisper.

"Yes." I said sadly. I didn't want her to know he was there.

"Good."


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so glad y'all like my story so far! WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING PLEASE HEED MY WARNING.**

 **WARNING WARNING: PLEASE KNOW THAT THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME MATURE CONTENT (not sex ya weirdo) JUST BE PREPARED PLEASE.**

I kept my eyes closed, I didn't want to leave Kile's arms anytime soon. It was far too comfortable. My head rested against his chest and every now and then he would kiss my hair as we walked back up the endless flights of stairs. And in that very moment, I loved him. I would be happy being just like this forever. But I knew that being married to Kile would be a lot more than thrilling kisses and sweet hugs.

I began to fiddle with the button on his shirt, frustrated that I thought about things so hard. I didn't want to be complicated and I didn't want a complicated life. But I also didn't know how to live any other way. I was complicated.

"You awake?" I heard a faint whisper.

"Yeah." I whispered back.

"Do you want me to take you to your room?"

"Yes please."

He took me to my room in silence. But the nice thing was, our silence was never awkward. It was a content silence. One that filled the room better than any words could.

When we reached my room, he continued to hold me all the way to my bed. He set me down gently and then sat on the edge of my soft bed next to me.

Without saying anything at all, he brushed the falling hair out of my face and kissed me so tenderly it felt like he was tickling me with his lips. The kiss was so soft it felt as though he thought I was made of glass; so delicate I could break at his touch.

He then planted his lips on my forehead and left. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, tickling my heart. I felt a small smile on my lips. Today had been pure magic. I couldn't even begin to describe the way I felt when I was with him.

As I laid in bed, resting before dinner, I heard a knock on my door. I sighed and stood up to answer it.

Hale stood at my door, smiling bashfully. It was hard to imagine that I went out on a date with him this morning, it felt like a million years ago. Not to mention that he was completely overlooked by me when I had Kile.

"Hale, what are you doing here? The selected aren't allowed on this floor." I said cautiously. I didn't want him to get in trouble.

"But Kile is allowed up here?" He said with no trace of humor in his smile.

I could feel a little bit of heat rising to my cheeks before I sternly said, "Kile was getting some sketches he needed when I ran into him. I invited him to stay so I could see them. You however, don't have an invitation."

The second I got my words out, something that I hadn't heard in years sounded throughout the palace: Rebels.

I looked around the hallway, I grabbed Hale's arm and pulled him with me, running. I tried to make it to the Royal Safe Room, where my family and the Selected would be, but there was no time. I saw a rebel around the corner and opened the nearsest hidden safe room meant for maids and staff.

I dreaded this. Being with Hale alone for who knows long honestly wasn't something that sounded appealing to me right now. I liked Hale, I really did. And I thought that he might be an okay partner in life. But in my eyes, it was obvious who my choice was right now.

I pulled him into the small room and shut the door. Great. It was one of the smaller rooms in the palace. Lovely. We sat in silence for five or so minutes before he broke my heavenly peace.

"Do you mind if I continue our conversation? I need to tell you something." He said quietly. I nodded in approval, still mad beyond words at him. I didn't appreciate the way he talked to me earlier. He was in the wrong for breaking the rules, and I shouldn't have to explain myself for allowing Kile up here either.

"Well, I was going to invite you to my room for dinner. I know we just had breakfast together today, but I really wanted to see you again-"

I held up a hand to him, stopping him in his tracks. "That's also against the rules." I said with a migraine I could feel starting up.

"What is again-" I cut him off again and said, "Asking me out. I don't always have time to go out when you might ask, and I certainly don't feel obligated to say yes to your proposal, which in the end, makes you feel awkward and embarrassed. And there's no way that I would accept your offer. I just went on a date with you this morning. I don't see how its fair that you've been on two dates and are demanding another when a couple of the boys haven't gone out with me once."

I folded my arms across my chest and glared at the wall mindlessly. I was so annoyed with him I couldn't even speak. "I can see your point Eadlyn. Its just-"

"Its nothing." I said, ending our conversation. We sat in silence again for a while. But this silence wasn't peaceful, it was full of tension that hung in the air so much it was almost tangible.

"Are you okay Eadlyn? Is it the rebels that are making you act this way? Cause if it is, there's no need for you be to scared. Not when I'm here to protect you." He kept stepping towards me as I backed away. Something did not feel right about this conversation. His motives felt...wrong.

"Hale stop." I said firmly. But I was terrified. And I knew it showed. My back hit the wall and I was trapped in the corner. With him coming towards me. He surrounded me to where I was wedged between the corner of the wall and him. He brushed back my hair but I cringed away from his touch. "STOP HALE." I said louder. I tried to push him off me but he was too strong. He was at least twice my size and had triple the amount of arm strength than I had. He just smiled and said, "It's okay baby. I got you."

He forced his mouth on top of mine, suffocating me. He fiercely attacked my lips with his but I wasn't having it. I squirmed around him and turned my head the opposite way every time he tried to kiss me. He stopped and turned around, wiping his mouth with his hand. He whipped around to me and slapped me across the face, hard. I fell to the floor in pain and felt tears stream down my cheeks. "You have to cooperate Eadlyn. Otherwise, this won't turn out too fun for you. Do you hear me?"

I sat up on the floor and gave him a stiff nod. He smiled then crouched onto the ground with me. He slowly laid me down and I didn't fight him. Lord knows I didn't stand a chance fighting, I would just come out even more hurt than I was now. My breathing hitched as crawled on top of me. His lips once again met mine and I laid there, still as a mouse. Letting him take me. I felt so violated. He pulled back again. "Eadlyn. That is not what I call cooperating. This is you just not fighting me. I need you to cooperate." I nodded, fresh tears spilling out of my cheeks.

"Good." he smirked. He kissed me yet again and I parted and closed my lips around his as he did to me. Like a snake, his tongue darted into my mouth and began exploring my mouth. This suffocated me, I couldn't breathe. But he wouldn't let up. He kept kissing me until I felt like I physically couldn't anymore. I gasped for breath, breaking his connection to me. "Can I get something a little saucier babe? You're being a little static for me."

I stayed on the ground, horrified. He dove back in and not knowing how else to keep him from abusing me, my tongue explored his mouth as well. The second he found my tongue, He sucked on it and kissed me harshly. He broke the kissing and left a wet, slimy trail from his tongue all the way to my chest. He then used his hands to grope my breasts. He tugged and squeezed them while he continued to lick me all over. I just cried on the floor, not knowing when this horrible nightmare would end. I thought Jack was bad.

He suddenly stopped, and I thought about it ending for good. I kept my eyes shut, hoping for him to stop completely. A harsh tearing noise sounded throughout the small room and I realized that he just ripped my dress open. I was left exposed in my bra and shorts. Panic seared through my head and I began to hyperventilate. His finger ran up and down my stomach before he let his tongue start at my navel and worked its way up to my mouth. I screamed and kicked him hard in the place where the sun don't shine. He rolled over in pain as I scrambled off the ground. I dashed over to the small sink in the corner and looked under the cabinet for anything. a metal bin that held food was there. I dumped the food out and then hit him over the head with the metal container. He collapsed to the ground and I backed into the corner with a bed and sat down, crying. I curled up into a little ball, trying to cover my exposed skin with my torn dress. I sat staring at him for hours, wondering if he was dead. I hoped he was.

POV Kile

The doors opened to the palace from the safe room and I took off running with the King and General Leger. We checked safe room after safe room for Eadlyn. We all then decided it would be more efficient to split up into hallways looking for her. I went to the closest room and opened it up. The second it opened I saw Hale lying on the ground, unconscious. But then I saw Eadlyn sitting in the corner, no clothing on except for her undergarments and a horrified stare plastered across her face. She looked up at me as I slowly walked over to her. Tears flooded her hollow seeming cheeks as she jumped into my arms. "Get me out of here- Kile help me- He hurt me- He touched me and kissed me and I didn't want him to-" she choked. Sobs racked her body as she slumped against me.

"Shhh." I stroked her hair. "It's okay. I got you." She started sobbing even harder into me. "Guys I found her." I shouted down the hall. Footsteps thundered my way. On the spot, I gave her my dress shirt to cover her up. She took it quickly and buttoned it up. Her dad thundered in and held his baby girl so close to him I thought he might break her. She cried into him and kept saying, "Get me out"

We took her to her room in the most discreet fashion and I was told to stay away for a while. Her parents spent the entire evening with her. I sat outside her door. Waiting. I know that Hale was gone by now. Probably in jail for his crimes. He would soon be sentenced to death. I knew how stuff like this worked around here, after all, I had lived here a long time. After dinner, her parents left the room and told me I could see her, but it had to be quick.

I rushed into her room and enveloped her weary body into mine. She broke down into me, crying again. I held her as she shook softly in my arms. I kissed her hair and stroked her arm and back gently. There's one thing that I know for sure though. I would make Hale pay for this.


	4. Chapter 4

I looked up at my protector, around his eyes were dark and weary, like he stayed up all night for me. He probably did. I made him stay the night, for I was far too scared to spend it alone. His large arms sheltered me as I slept, allowing me to find some sort of peace after last night. I shuddered and cringed closer to Kile, afraid that Hale might jump out and grab me again. I had fallen asleep in Kile's shirt last night, it brought me an unknown comfort that I didn't know was possible.

"Good morning." He said sleepily. Deep yawns sounded from both of us and following so did small laughs. "Are you feeling okay?" Stroking small bits of my hair, he looked at me with such soft and concerned eyes.

"Yes. No." My lip trembled. "I don't know." Tears streamed down my face and I felt so insecure for having them. I shut my eyes and refused to open them until the crying ended.

"It's okay to not be okay Eadlyn." He stroked my hair softly and wiped away the falling tears with a kiss on my cheek.

"I know. I just hate feeling this way. I feel so- so- so violated, I can't stand it." I said angrily. "He was too strong for me, he had more power to hurt me and use me in his pinky finger than I possessed in my whole body."

I brought my legs up to my chest and curled into a ball that he held close to him. Our foreheads rested on each other as he kept his arms around my whole body, keeping myself compacted and close to him. I breathed softly as he spoke, "You are more powerful than anyone else in the whole world Eadlyn. Yes, he may be physically more strong than you, but you are the strongest person I have ever met. You could move mountains one day if you wanted to. You managed to get me to love you, and if you can do that, you can do anything."

My heart skipped a beat and before I knew it, my lips were on his. This felt like our first kiss; full of tenderness and mystery. He softly kept kissing me, not wanting to push it. But it was okay when I was with him. Kissing Kile actually made all of my troubles disappear. For a minute, I was his and he was mine. Nothing could change my mind.

I took my hands and placed them on his jawline, holding his face to mine. I wanted him to know I was okay with this. That his words and touch gave me all the strength I needed to get through this.

Later that night at dinner

I took a seat next to dad for dinner. It felt odd to be away from Kile though. It was like there was a magnetic force inside of us that drew us to each other uncontrollably. A force so exciting yet potentially dangerous.

Dad put his hand over mine once I sat down and smiled at me without teeth. He looked so tired, so much older than he should at his age. The weight of the world was literally resting on his back and I felt as if there was nothing I could do to help. Tonight was Mom's first dinner back with us since the heart attack. I couldn't wait to have her at the family meals again. She always smoothed out the tension in the room, whether it be between the royal family or between the selected. I took a glance down the table at the boys and saw Henri talking to Errik in Finnish. They were talking so happily, so full of ease. They made life look so easy.

"Ohmygosh Eadlyn are you okay?" said a shrill voice next to me. Josie. She was the last person who I wanted sitting next to me. She plopped into the seat and began rambling about how awful it must have been. I felt my face turn white as she replayed the events for me.

"ENOUGH." Kile said sternly from across the table. He set his fork down and furrowed his brows, "There's no need to make Eadlyn think about this again, Josie."

She stopped talking and began to poke at the food on her plate. She obviously wanted the inside scoop on what happened but there was no way I was going to talk about it with her. No way.

I looked down at my savior and gave him a soft, weak smile. He returned the smile and then turned back to his conversation with Errik. He really helped me this morning and I didn't know how to thank him for helping me through that rough time. The report was on tonight, but I was excused from it. Dad didn't want me stressing out and on the Report tonight, he would briefly explain why I wouldn't be there. The Selected would be there tonight to talk about there stay at the palace so far.

Anyways, since the safe-room incident, Dad wanted me to have a project that wasn't stressful. But if he had ever planned a party, he would know that it was the opposite of non-stressful. Mom agreed to it though, saying the busy work would occupy my mind along with the dates I'd go on.

Speaking of dates, Mom said I needed to go out with other boys. But truth be told, I didn't want to see any of the other boys. I just wanted to be with Kile.

After the awkwardly silent dinner, Mom and Dad called me to their study. Details about the party I assumed.

"Eadlyn, sweetie, come here." Mom called. Her back was facing me as she shuffled through papers and folders. Her desk was a mess, I didn't know how she kept track of everything considering if you set something down in her 'pile,' its as good as gone. I walked over to her as she searched for whatever it was. "Aha." She plucked out the single sheet of paper and handed it to me.

"This are the details for the party. You just need to execute them." She gave me a warm smile with her words.

"Mom," I asked. "Do you think that I could have a major cut, for the Selection that is?"

She took a minute before saying anything, wrinkles showing in her forehead. After she thought for a moment, she responded with, "Yes. I think it would be a good idea. You haven't eliminated anyone in a while and it might show how serious you are to find your match by a sudden cut."

I smiled at her, "Do you think maybe...14 could go?" I would have eliminated 15, but Hale took care of that himself.

"Over half of your competition? I was thinking 6 or 7 boys." she exclaimed. "Tops! Even ten is too much."

"Mom, I know for a fact that I don't want to marry them if I'm dreading going on a date with them." I said sincerely.

If I truly didn't want to see them, how could I marry them? And it was unfair to them to keep them around so long, they deserved to know the truth. That I didn't want anything to do with them.

"Please, Mom. I want to do it at the end of the ball that I'm planning. It will be a great surprise to announce on the report the day after. Please mom," I begged.

She sat still for a moment before reluctantly nodding, she never could say no to me. I squealed and jumped in her lap. She made a large ooph sound as I squeezed her. "I love you!"

In full sprint, I dashed out of the room to go plan this party. I wanted it to be sooner rather than later so that I could narrow it down to the Elite. Anyways, there was only around five boys that I really wanted staying. Kile, Henri, Ean, and Fox. I needed one more to stay. I guess it will be the least obnoxious one to stay as well.

I kept running down the halls, much more excited than I should be. My feet carried me a lot faster than I thought they would considering I was wearing four inch heels. In fact, they carried me so fast I couldn't stop in time to avoid running right into Kile. My body slammed right into his, causing a loud, "OUCH!" from both of us. We toppled onto the ground in a heap of dress and limbs. Somehow managing to roll right into his lap, the small of my back was now resting on his upper thighs. He sat up and propped himself up with his arms, looking down at me with a goofy grin. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"I was running-" I began to say, but a fit of giggles hit me, impeding my thoughts.

"Well I can see that," he laughed softly. After my insane laughter ended, I told him, "I was running to my room because I have to plan a party, and the Selected, there's going to be an elimination soon, but you can't tell anyone, it's a secret, but anyways, I was going to go-" He politely interrupted my babble by leaning down to me and kissing me ever so sweetly. He lifted me up to him with his hands on my back then looked at me, our eyes only inches apart. He kissed me one last time before standing up then offering me his hand. I took it gladly and whispered in his ear, "Can we go to your room?"

His eyes lit up a little bit as he replied, "It would be my pleasure. Allow me to escort you." He held out his arm for me and I rested my hands around it while we walked. Even through his blazer I could feel the defined muscles.

"So, what is it you were telling me about a party?" He asked curiously.

"It's going to be for the Italians. They're coming to visit again to talk with my father. But as always, they love a good party and good food, so we have to throw a large party in honor of them coming." I said simply.

"Oh yes, the Italians. I've partied with them once or twice. They're good fun." he said with a smirk on his face. I thought back to when Kile said that the most recent girl that he kissed before me was Caterina from Italy. I felt my face drop, it almost made me sick to my stomach to imagine Kile with anyone else but me. I didn't respond to him. Nerves swept over my body like a tsunami, this is exactly why I didn't want to fall in love in the first place. I knew that the second things went wrong I would feel like this. What if he didn't think I was good enough?

"Eadlyn are you okay? You don't look so well." He asked, concern filling his voice. I nodded and responded, "I'm fine." I plastered a smile on my face as best as I could and said, "Let's just go to your room. I need help planning for the party, and if Neena finds out that I'm working on it she won't leave my side until she's had a say about every last detail."

We walked in silence the rest of the way. Terrible thoughts about Caterina flooded my mind over and over like a constant replay of the worst scenario. Caterina comes, Kile likes her more than me, he leaves the selection, and I'm left heartbroken. I imagined his lips on hers and I almost started choking up thinking about it. I knew that when he said they were good fun he was talking about her.

Once we stepped into his room he asked again, "Eadlyn, are you sure you're okay? You look pale and you've been silent the entire way up-"

But it was my turn to interrupt him. The second he shut the door I stopped him in his tracks and smashed my lips onto his. It took him a second to realize I was kissing him before he loosened his shoulders and wrapped his hands around my waist. I laced my fingers into his hair and kissed like him like it was my last chance to. I pulled back and gasped for air, tears suddenly streaming down my cheeks. My hands fell from his hair to his chest slowly as I thoughts of losing Kile flooded my mind. "Hey," he whispered, his hands quickly finding my face, "What's wrong, Eadlyn?"

"Promise me I'll never lose you." I breathed. "Please. Promise me that you're mine, before I lose you." Tears dripped off my chin as I sniffed in.

"You'll never lose me. Royal Pain in the Ass." he whispered. A small laugh escaped me before he said, "You may be uptight, and impulsive, and bossy... but I love you. I promise." I nodded and squeezed my eyes shut then before I knew it, I kissed him again. I could feel the weight lifting off my chest as much as I could feel my wet cheeks against his. His soft lips parted and opened with mine, I could taste a hint of mint on his breath. One of his arms wrapped all the way around my waist and held my body flesh with his while his left hand held the back of my neck, supporting me like I was glass. And in a way I was glass; I was hard and cold on the outside yet so delicate and so fragile in reality. I gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled myself impossibly closer to him than I already was. Every inch of me up until my neck was against him, his gentle touch keeping me there.

He bent down slightly to put his arm around my upper thighs then picked me up til I was above him. I rested my forehead down onto his and ran my thumb over his soft lips. He set me down onto his bed and then laid down next to me. It took me only seconds to wiggle over and lay on top of him. His hands rested dangerously close to my butt, but he was a gentlemen enough not to actually touch me like that. Our lips locked again, I had to prove to him that he was the one. I gave him one last, long kiss before stopping. I rested my head down on his chest as he stroked my hair mindlessly. "What's your middle name?"

I could hear the smile on his perfect lips. "Its Tames. Like my mom's maiden name. What about you?"

I lifted my head up and gave him a playful glare. "You don't know my middle name?"

"Eadlyn Schreave! Until now, you were never the center of my life. Remember? You threw apples at me outside from the tree then I chased you into a fire ant pile?" he recalled.

"Celeste. After my mom's friend when she was in the Selection." I said.

"Why did you ask me that?" he said.

"Ask you what?"

"What my middle name was."

"Oh. Remember when you said that if clothes were coming off, that I should at least know your middle name?"

"Yeah."

"That's all."

"I thought you'd never ask." he said with a big smile. I returned the smile and laughed a little. I lifted the dress off of me, leaving me in shorts and a bra. He flipped me underneath him and his lips fell onto mine. His dress shirt slipped off of him and then he looked at me, his eyes running up and down my body. I felt heat rise in my cheeks, he mumbled almost to himself, "You are so beautiful." He quickly kissed me, allowing his warm, sculpted chest to lower down on top of me. My fingers ran across his back as he laid down kisses all over my face. I giggled as he did so, but felt no need to do anything other than this. I hope he didn't either. This moment was too perfect to ruin. I pushed him off of me abruptly and then off the bed, squealing. I jumped off the bed and ran around his large room to behind the couch. "Hey!" he said.

Shooting up from the other side of the bed, he dashed across the room at me, which sent me screaming and laughing around the room. It was just like old times, except better. This time, I was laughing, not just screaming as Kile chased me. I was no match for his athleticism though, he caught me sooner than a cat would catch a mouse. His arms wrapped around my bare belly and lifted me up into the air. I squealed in his arms as he carried me and pretended to hit him to let me down. "Let me down, let me down!" I giggled.

The door opened, a guard rushed in and exclaimed, "Your Highness!" That's when I really screamed. Kile set me down and immediately grabbed a blanket to wrap around myself. "Officer...Lee... everything's fine. I do hope you will have discretion for what you saw. If I hear any palace rumors going around, I know exactly who to come to."

"Yes, your highness." he blushed furiously, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. After last time.." he trailed off. I nodded and then said, "Yes I know. Thank you but you're dismissed." He blushed harder then walked out, closing the door behind him. The second it shut, Kile tore off the blanket I had wrapped around myself, and left a kiss on my neck. He then wrapped his arms around me again, holding my back to his chest.

"Kile! Quit it, that was so embarrassing." I groaned like a little kid in trouble. But he didn't say a word in response, he just kept a hold of me and kept kissing that one spot on my neck. Goosebumps rose on my arms and legs as he kissed me. His mouth moved from my neck to my shoulder, then back to my neck. "Ki..." But I had already melted under his touch, unable to think straight with him doing this. He slowly spun my around so that I was facing him, all the while never stopping from kissing my neck. He then slowly made his way up to my lips. His lips were so soft against mine that they barely brushed them, so delicate it almost drove me crazy.

He stopped, leaving me in some form of breathlessness, "I wasn't embarrassed."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the love and reviews guys! If you like fluffy stories, you'll die reading this chapter! Love y'all and happy reading~**

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I went back to my own room once Kile had to go get ready for the Report, honestly, I hadn't gotten anything done with planning the ball, and I needed to quickly. Neena left early to go assist my mom, who would be making her first appearance on the Report for a while. Mom's maid recently left the palace so Mom wanted someone she was comfortable with to get ready. After all, she is the one who hired Neena in the first place.

Once I changed into my cozy pajamas, I lit a fire in the fireplace and turned on the TV to the Report. I took my Party Papers and got into bed to work. I wanted to be comfortable, what can I say? Mom had a handy organizer/checklist for all parties pre-made for me so when I did them, I would have an easy time getting everything together.

COLOR SCHEME: Red and Gold

APPETIZER: _Chicken Caesar Salad with dressing, croutons, and Parmesan_  
MAIN COURSE: _Five Cheese Ravioli with a mushroom and basil cream sauce_  
DESSERT: _Personal chocolate bundt cakes with hot fudge and raspberry cream sauce_

ENTERTAINMENT: _A live quartet and live singer_

I spent the night filling out stuff like this for the party mindlessly, I wasn't feeling the need to over-think it this time. I just wanted to it to be fun. But soon, the Report started, so I put away my work and sat back and watched it, rather than be in it, for the first time ever. It started off with Gavril talking to Mom and Dad about Mom's heart attack. After that they droned on and on about New Asia and the civil war they're going through right now. So much boring stuff that I know I would be the one addressing in a couple of short years. Finally, they moved on to the Selected boys. My ears perked up like a dogs would as I listened to the boys talk about life in the palace, about me, about the food, my family, and more. But the only one I really listened to was Kile's.

"So, Mr. Woodwork," Gavril jeered, "What would you say about your relationship with the Princess?" He had a knowing smile, like he was about to bring about a picture of some sort to make the crowd ooh and ah. But it was focused towards Kile and I. I could feel it.

"We're great, Gavril. She's like my best friend." he said bashfully.

"I'd say she's more than that, Sir Kile." He laughed. "Let's show 'em the pictures, right?" The live crowd cheered as Gavril presented a series of pictures from earlier today on the projection screen. It was a picture of me and Kile falling down together, another one of us laughing on the floor, and finally, one of us kissing. The audience made aww sounds when they saw it. I knew it.

"Yes, well, I want some things to just be for us to know about. You know. I'm sorry for not sharing about this, but...it's more complicated than that. Eadlyn is the strongest person I know. She's overcome and battled so much in her life already and I know it's not going to stop. Not til the day she dies. I love her." Kile said. He kept his head kind of low, like he didn't want to say that out-loud, as if he meant it only for himself.

My heart swayed a little at his words, and so did the audience's. "Well, thank you, Kile."

The Report ended and I knew it was time to go to sleep. I shut my light off and tried to fall asleep. But it was impossible; no matter what I tried, sleep evaded me. Images of Jack and Hale kept creeping into my mind as I tried to sleep. I would jerk awake every time I thought I was about to fall asleep in fear of them. Sweat lined my forehead and my legs were restless, there was only one person who I knew could make me feel safe. Kile.

I grabbed my pillow and robe, then headed downstairs. He technically couldn't stay in his old room anymore because of the Selection, so I had to walk down the stairs for his room. Thunder and lightening clapped outside of the windows of the palace while rain came down in buckets. Once I found his room, I knocked lightly three times, then once, then twice. When we were really little, we came up with that knocking pattern. I had forgotten all about it until now.

POV SWITCH to Kile :)

The sound of knocking on my door lifted me from a deep sleep. Suddenly, I heard the familiar tune of Eadlyn's secret knock. I remember she used to use it when she wanted to come into my tree house. I would never let her because she was a girl and I didn't like her much, but she would always knock that same tune once then would leave. Now that I think about it, I feel bad for never letting her play with me.

I got up and opened my door to find a messy hair, smeared makeup, little girl in front of me. She gripped her pillow and looked at me with a soft smile. She looked like she hadn't slept a wink all night. I opened my arms and she walked into them, a few tears trickling down her cheeks. "Can I stay with you tonight?" she whispered.

"Of course." I said, kissing her hair.

"I can't stop thinking about them." she sniffled. "I don't feel safe by myself."

"Come on." I grabbed her in hand in mine and led her around to my bed. She set her pillow down next to mine and climbed right in with me. The second she hit the bed, she snuggled right up against me. She laid facing me, her small hands pressed against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, giving her the protection she obviously needed right now. I stroked her hair, trying to lull her to sleep. I could soon feel her steady warm breaths against my bare chest. I kissed her hair, then her forehead, then her lips ever so slightly. "Good night, darling."

The next morning

I woke up around ten minutes before she did, she hadn't moved a muscle all night. She slept soundly in my arms until I kissed her forehead. She stirred a little and barely clenched her hand into a fist before releasing all tension. She inhaled deeply and then opened her eyes. "Good morning sunshine." I said while tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Good morning." she said with a weak smile. I left very loud kisses on her cheek, her nose, then her other cheek, to which she started laughing loudly to. "Stop it!" She squealed.

"Awake now?"

"Yes!" She giggled.

"Hmm...I don't know. You still look really sleepy." I started to tickle her behind the ear and on the side of her tummy, spots I've known about since I could walk.

"Nooo! I'm awake, I'm awake! I swear!" she laughed. Her legs and arms kicked slightly in bed as she squirmed. I grabbed her and pulled her right into a good morning kiss. Every muscle in her body except for her pink lips.

"Now you're awake." I said with a peck on her nose.

"Yup." She grinned. I'd never seen her so happy. Maybe when she was playing with Ahren when she was little she was this happy, but not recently.

I lifted the sheets up above us and then pulled her under them with me. Underneath the covers, I held her so close to me that I was afraid she thought it was too close then I showered her small face in a dozen kisses. "I love you." She breathed out with her eyes closed.

"I love you more," I said softly. She smiled to herself then opened her eyes. She smirked before lunging at my lips with her own, I could feel her smiles through our kisses. We were in pure bliss. I myself couldn't imagine a time where I was more happy than I was now. She kissed the very tip of my nose before sliding out of bed and into her robe. "I need you to look outside to see if anyone's there. I shouldn't even be here, remember?" She joked.

I sat in bed looking at her in admiration as she tried to fix her crazy bedhead a bit. She looked at me through the mirror and smiled, "What are you doing, Mr.? Go and play lookout like old times."

I smiled at her before getting out of bed, "Okay." I pulled on a tshirt then stuck my head out of the room. The coast was cle-NOT CLEAR. Fox came jogging up to me when he saw me and asked, "Hey, Kile. Can I come in for a second? I need to ask you something."

"Now's really not a good time Fox." I said a little louder than what he would think necessary but I needed Eadlyn to hear.

"Please, man? It'll be five seconds, I just can't talk about it out here." The look in his eyes was so sad, like something was really wrong.

"Okay, come on in." I said even louder. I hope Eadlyn heard me, cause he was coming in. I showed Fox in and the sat with him on the bed. I looked around the room, paranoid about it all.

"Look, I think I have to leave, Kile. I can't stay here anymore. I just got word from my sisters that my mom died," his voice cracked before he continued, "my siblings...they have no one to look after them anymore. I'm gonna ask Eadlyn to leave today. I just wanted to say goodbye now, just in case I don't get a chance to see you again. Thanks for the memories."

"Fox, I'm so sorry." I said. Part of me was speechless.I slung an arm and his shoulder and rubbed his back a little before saying, "Good luck, man."

He nodded and gave me the weakest smile, one that I had seen on Eadlyn not too long ago.

He got up and left, not saying anything else. Eadlyn tiptoed out of my bathroom with a little bit of tears welled in the corner of her eyes. She shook her head coming out, "I didn't want him to leave."

A sudden pang of jealousy struck me, I liked Fox, but I loved Eadlyn. And she would be mine to hold forever, no one else gets to touch her. Not even the other boys in this selection. I squeezed her in a hug. She wasn't crying, I just think she was sad that he had to go. And I didn't want him to go either, it's just... I wanted to stay more than I wanted him to.

I then escorted Eadlyn back to her room, which thankfully no one was around to see us. It was early enough yet that none of the staff were in serving yet. Neena wouldn't catch Eadlyn sneaking back. When we reached Eadlyn's door, she looked up at me with an expecting face. She didn't even have to say anything, her eyes said it all.

I leaned down and placed my lips on hers. She caved into me slightly just like she did during our first kiss right here. I thought back to our first kiss, how I dreaded it yet couldn't wait for it all at the same time. I remembered the love-hate relationship that we had together, and couldn't believe that a little extra love could diminish any of the hate.

The second our shared kiss ended, she jumped up and threw her arms around my neck, embracing me in a hug. I buried my face in her long hair as she buried hers in my neck. We stood like this for a minute, her soft breath against my neck felt like a million tickles. She inhaled deeply then let go of me. "See you at breakfast." She said softly.

She shut the door behind her and I left for my room. "Had a nice slumber party, Kile?" A voice snarled behind me. Raoul stood in front of me, his arms crossed alongside a few other of the Selected.

"Yeah. It was fun. It consisted of a terrified girl shivering in my arms all night." I snapped. They didn't have any right to question what I did with Eadlyn. That was out business, not theirs.

"Really?" Ean scoffed beside Raoul. "I'm sure you did more than that."

"Nope that was it. Eadlyn would always sneak in to my bedroom when she was little during thunderstorms. I guess after what happened with Hale, plus the thunderstorms, she needed a little comfort." I said curtly. All of it was true, I didn't have anything to hide. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get ready for breakfast."

I


	6. Chapter 6

The Italians would arrive during lunch today, the party was all set up and ready to go for this evening. Though I was dreading the arrival of Caterina, I couldn't wait to dance with Kile. I had danced with him before at family and friends balls, and he was very good I must admit. I was always secretly pleased when Miss Marlee forced him to ask me to dance, he would always lead me so elegantly with as much poise as I did.

But, I knew that I wouldn't be able to spend the whole night dancing with him, a lady does not ask to dance, she is asked. So I would have to wait for him to ask me, but unfortunately, it's not proper to dance with the same person more than three times in one night. A rule my mother and father always broke, but they were so in love that to this day, they only saw each other. They refused to dance with any one else besides each other.

I hadn't seen Kile all day yesterday or today, the boys have been busy with a mystery project that mom gave them, and haven't had time for me all week. I even asked Errik to hang out, but he was busy running errands for Henri, so he said no too. I was so bored, with nothing to do.

I was so accustomed to having Kile with me, holding my hand, poking my stomach, and giving me surprise kisses that I felt a sort of emptiness without him. I decided to go to the gardens; I went there whenever I needed to clear my head because the aroma of all the flowers soothed me. While outside, I ran into General Leger. "Uncle Leger!" I said excitedly. My siblings and I often called him that when we were little because we couldn't say General. It often would come out sounding like, 'jarural.' So we all decided Uncle Leger was the best option considering he was like our extended family.

"Hello, Eadlyn." He bowed deeply, as always. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just... clearing my head I guess. The gardens help me think clearly." I said, beginning to walk with him along a gravel path.

"They always helped your mother, too." He said. He was such a nice and gentle man, I knew he liked my mother once like Dad liked her, but know he was in love with Lucy. And there was no doubt in my mind about that. I always wanted to be looked at the way he looks at Miss Lucy. I guess I had that now. The thought of Kile warmed my cheeks and made me smile, "I know exactly how you feel, Eadlyn."

"What?" I said, lost in my own thoughts.

"To feel in love." he said simply. "I can see it when you're with Kile. Love is a good look on you."

A few hours later

I was dressed in a deep blue dress that ended just above my knees. A white crop top blazer was paired with matching white stiletto heels. Even with these heels on, I noticed how I wasn't even close to as tall as Kile. I looked over at him, he stood tall alongside the rest of the Selected. Mom and Dad insisted that we stand in the grand foyer, ready for the Italians' entrance. Kile looked simply dashing, his hair was styled out of his eyes and he wore a crisp white shirt with black slacks. He was gorgeous, my god, how could I have never seen it? I guess the more time I had to fall in love with him, the more I noticed the little things. Things like the way his eyes twinkled when he looked at me, or the way his hair flopped in front of his eyes when he just woke up. Or maybe even the way pursed his lips just slightly when he was deep in concentration. All these things I had noticed before went through my mind unnoticed or annoyed by it. I couldn't even imagine a time in my life anymore when I didn't love him.

The doors of the palace swung open, the Italian family was here. They all gracefully and happily walked through the foyer to us, all taking turns in greeting Mom and Dad first, then proceeding to me, Kaden, and Osten. I made a mental note that Caterina wasn't here yet. I didn't know if I should be relieved or worried. I had no idea when she was coming, I just knew she was.

"Eadlyn," Aunt Nicoletta exclaimed. "How are you my darling?" The Queen of Italy walked like she was on water. So full of air and grace.

"Aunt Nini!" I said only loud enough for the Royal families to hear. The Selected boys didn't need to know my ridiculous nickname for her. Like the word general, I couldn't quite pronounce Nicoletta when I was young, so Ahren just started calling her Nini. She embraced me in a delicate but loving hug, whispering, "If you don't take that tall, handsome, blonde. I will!" She joked. "I'm just kidding darling, I have a wonderful husband with me."

I laughed a little, not knowing how to act. Aunt Nini was more than twice their age. I guess she just liked a little laugh here and there. ALL of the Italians did.

The Selected boys stood tall, eager to meet the Italian family as well. "Would you like to join us for lunch, your Majesty?" I addressed the King.

He gave me a hearty smile and then said, "Eadlyn, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that. We're all equals. And yes, some lunch would be nice."

Everyone moved to the dining hall, where around ten more sets of silverware and dishes were set up on the table. The seating around the table would change up a little with our new visitors, I would no longer sit next to Mom and Dad, and neither would Kaden or Osten. I had agreed that the Italians should sit next to Mom and Dad, and that the children in their family could sit with Kaden and Osten. I would sit with the Selected for the week. Thank goodness, Josie and her parents said that they wouldn't dine with us, considering it would be inappropriate. I agreed, thankful for having Josie gone for a while. Mother hated it, but she caved in the end.

I sat myself in between Kile and Kaden; the other boys frowned when I took my seat with them. "Eadlyn, won't you come and sit down here with us? We haven't seen you in forever." Ean smiled eagerly.

"I'm going to sit down here today, Ean. Thank you. Maybe tomorrow." I tried to sound truthful. But all I wanted was to sit with Kile. They all kind of frowned, but nodded their heads in acceptance. Kile elbowed me in the stomach softly and smirked. I returned the favor a little harder and received an "oomph," from him. I smiled in victory as he shook his head. "So, Eadlyn," Raoul persisted. "What do you have planned for, this week? I can speak on behalf of _almost_ everyone; we haven't gotten to see you lately." He gave a slight glare towards Kile when he said 'almost' and I felt myself getting annoyed.

"I tried to talk to you all. Every single one of you. You were busy and declined me." I said curtly. His arrogance was getting the better of him though.

"Well how about tomorrow? You and me. Lunch." He said daringly. I didn't appreciate the cockiness in his voice as he asked me out in front of the Selected, my family, and the Italian family.

"I'm sorry. No, thank you. I have already promised Queen Nicoletta lunch with me and my mother tomorrow. Perhaps you shouldn't ask me so publically next time so you don't make a fool of yourself like you have now." I said with a sharp smile. He turned red and took a sip of water. The Italians burst out laughing from our exchange and everyone else sat stiffly, not sure how to react because of me. My parents giggled softly, but not too much. Kaden gave me wide eyes, shocked at my sass. I pinched his arm and he swatted my hand. "Stop it!" I hissed.

"You stop, you just embarrassed someone who just wanted to spend time with you!" he said with equal spite.

"He was way too cocky for me. He won't even be here tomorrow so chill out." I whisper- yelled at him. He narrowed his eyes at me and turned to Osten. Where did this kid get his sass? From me, most likely. I felt a tickling against my ear, Kile started to whisper in it so close he could have kissed me, "Lunch with Nicoletta and your mom? When did you plan that?"

He turned his head forward and I almost rested my own lips on his ear, "Just now. I wanted an excuse to eat with you."


	7. Chapter 7

I was talking to Kile, Henri, and Errik during the most part of lunch. I occasionally made conversation between the others. "So, are you going to ask me to dance tonight, prince charming?" I joked with Kile. Well, half joked. I really did want to dance with him.

"I don't know." he said with a smile. "Will my mom be there to make me do it against my own will?" I giggled a little.

"Remember the time when you refused to ask me and your mom ripped your little blazer on the arm because she tugged so hard?" I laughed. But he was staring down at the doors. "Kile?.." I turned to where he was looking and felt my face drop. Caterina. She stood, dazzling in the light. Literally. She wore a black skin tight dress that went to her feet and had a slutty slit in the leg of the dress that stopped right before her crotch. The bodice of her dress was encrusted in little tiny diamonds all over it. Her luscious black hair was down in curls and her smokey eye was the definition of sultry.

She sauntered in the room, giving my mom and dad a curtsy before saying, "Sorry for being late. I just flew in from Paris. Fashion week." she shrugged a shoulder up and looked across it as if to say she couldn't miss it for the world, and there was nothing she could do about being late. "Eadlyn." she said silkily. "Who are all these dashing young men?" Her eyes were wide, like she was a child who was standing in front of a pile of candy.

"These are the men who are participating in my Selection. For _my_ hand in marriage." I emphasized 'my' just so she got a clear message as to not go near them. She nodded.

"I see. Oh yes. I remember you." she pointed at Kile and walked over to us. She took a seat right across from Kile and said softly, "We had a good time or two."

Kile smiled at his plate, like he just remembered an old inside joke that he'd forgotten about. Pain boiled over in me, threatening to pour out of me. Caterina took two bites out of her fish and then wrinkled her nose. "I've had better." She put her fork down and pushed aside her plate. She clasped her tiny hands and held them under her chin. "So. Boys. What are all of you guys's names?"

I dropped my fork a little louder than expected and excused myself. I felt like I could throw up and throw something at her at the same time. Everything I feared was already coming together. I made it about half way down the hall before silent tears started to roll down my cheeks. I walked faster and faster until I was running. I didn't even hear the footsteps of Kile until he was almost right behind me. "Eadlyn!" he called. I quickly wiped my eyes and turned around, showing a small smile.

"What's up?" I asked softly.

"Hey," he stood close to me, leaving almost no room between us and rubbed his thumb across my cheek bones lightly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I said, fighting tears.

"Eadlyn...you've been crying...tell me what's wrong. You don't have to hide anything from me." he rested his hand under my jaw.

"Promise me you won't be mad at me." I said, a tear slipping out. "Please."

He nodded solemnly, his eyebrows knitting together. "Do you know what its like to see the person you love look at someone else the way you looked at Caterina?"

Pain struck his face and he whispered, "Eadlyn.."

I stepped backwards, away from him, almost to my room. I supported my aching body by gripping my door handle. "Do you know what it's like to feel as though someone's stabbing you in the heart?" tears openly streamed down my cheeks. "Cause I do."

He stood silent as I said, "I can't handle... losing you to _her_."

"Eadlyn, it's not like that. That was over a year ago. I love _you_. Eadlyn. Not her." he said weakly, the pain of my accusation was so evident in his voice that it hurt me to see him like this. "What made you think that I'd ever choose her over you?"

"I love you too. I love you so much and that's just it. I don't think I could handle it if you ever left me," I hiccuped. "I need you, Kile. And I know for a fact that any boy would leap at the chance to be with her. I'm just...Eadlyn. I'm nothing compared to her. So I'm sorry if got a little worried when you and everyone else started drooling at her."

He took a step towards me, torment in his eyes. I didn't back away from him, I allowed him to press his body against mine and to rest his forehead on mine. "You're not just Eadlyn. You're _mine._ " he said, "No one will ever change that." His pain was replaced with aggression. He kissed me so hard that it took away any trace of doubt about his words that lingered in my mind. The way he moved his lips against mine and how his hands ran through my hair screamed that I was his. I allowed myself to melt into him, my body caving against his. My knees went weak as he assured me that Caterina would not phase him.

He breathed softly against my lips then mumbled, "Don't ever think that again, Eadlyn. I love you too much to see you so distressed about some girl with a little sass. So what if she came in and stole the show a little bit. Even when she was talking to me all I could think about was you. How _you_ would have looked in that dress." He kissed me one last time, filled with as much passion and frustration as his first was. I nodded slightly and then crawled into his arms. He squeezed me tight against him, blocking me from any other pain in the world. "I should get ready for the party now." I whispered against his chest.

"Want me to stay?" he asked.

I nodded underneath his chin. Not ready to speak quite yet. We went into my room and I sat down at the mirror. Parties with the Italians always started around 5 in the afternoon and lasted sometimes until 3 in the morning, depending on the circumstances of the occasion. For New Years, I'm pretty sure I remember the King and my dad staying up all night long until the sun rose. Then they fell asleep. Kile sat right behind me, his legs resting on the floor on the outside of mine. He hugged my torso from behind and buried his face in my neck and hair. I rested my hands and arms over his, squeezing gently at his hands. "I'm sorry."

He looked up at me through the mirror and rested his chin on my shoulder. He responded, "I know. I'm sorry too."

"I'm also sorry because you have to leave. I want to be a surprise when I walk in tonight." I smiled and bit my bottom lip.

"Of course, my dear." He said. He kissed my cheek then stood up. "Until then." he walked away. I sat there, thinking about where I had heard someone call someone else their dear. But I didn't take it to too much mind, I stood up and marched to him before he opened the door to leave.

"Leaving without a goodbye kiss? Tsk tsk tsk." I said. "Now that, is unforgivable." I lunged at him, pushing him against the door and kissed him with all the love I could muster. When we stopped, I looked at his face to see it full of surprise and the tiniest bit of lust. I smirked a little and then began to walk back to my bathroom. Suddenly, I felt strong arms pull me back and flip me around into a wild kiss. He shoved me against the wall and pinned me to it, pressing his whole entire body against mine. It was like he couldn't stop. every time I came up for air, he crashed his lips back down on me again. I didn't know how to feel, like I was being suffocated or just in complete euphoria. He trailed his way down to my neck, where he made a pit stop and kissed it for what felt like hours, sending chills down my spine. "Kile-" I said, but before I could get anything else out he whipped himself up to my lips and engaged me in one last kiss filled with so much intensity that it lasted a lifetime.

When it was over, I breathed heavily, my chest rising up and down against his. "You seriously didn't think you could kiss me like _that_ and then just leave, did you?" he said with a small chuckle. I didn't respond, too exasperated breathless to say anything. "I have to go now." he said sadly. "We only have a three hours until the party."

"You seriously didn't think that _you_ could kiss me like that and then just leave, did you?" I imitated. A devilish smile spread across his face as I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and my hands through his hair. Our lips moved so fast against each other it felt like each kiss was broken off too quickly to start the next one. Both of us couldn't get enough of each other. He fell down with me under him on the bed and attacked me with kisses. I kept my legs around his as he laid on me like a puzzle piece, we were a perfect fit. His hands found my little blazer and tore it off, quite literally. He sat up and then I returned the favor, his shirt coming off faster than I could blink. He fell back down onto me, kissing me with so much affection and tangled his hands in my hair as I caressed his back.

"Eadlyn-" he said between a kiss, "-we-" but he couldn't help himself, he dove back in kissing me longer than the last time, as if he was avoiding his own words. "-have to-" I finally grabbed his chin delicately with my hand and forced him to stop, making him look me in the eyes. "We have to what?" I asked.

"Stop." he said so softly I could barely hear it.

"Oh." I said with a frown. He didn't move a muscle. He just kept laying on top of me, his hands resting in my hair.

"I know." he said. "I just want to eat you up." he kissed my neck once, then my chin, and then my lips one last time. He then got up off of the bed and said with a smirk, "Tonight."

I blushed a little, knowing too well that he meant he would resume this tonight.

Once he left, I rang for Neena. I had let her know that she shouldn't hang out in my room anymore in case of events like...the one that just happened. When I told her this she smiled all too knowingly and said, "Yes, your highness."

She came in, only what felt like seconds later, trying to hide a missive smirk. I swatted at her as she got my makeup set up. "What?" she snickered.

"Stop it!" I said. "It's not like that." I smoothed out my dress and crossed my arms.

"Uh-huh." She sneered. I shook my head and sat down so she could begin to put my makeup on.

"Oh and Neena," I said.

"What?" she said, laughter about to bust out of her.

"Make me look different tonight."

"Different?" she asked, her face morphing into something full of bewilderment and disapproval.

"I want to look hotter than Caterina. That's all." I said through my teeth. I really could not stand that girl.

"Oh. Different." she said, a smirk playing out on her young face. "I can do that." She went to work, spending at least 45 minutes on each eyelid, perfecting her work of art. I sat patiently as she put on finishing touches. She forced me to keep my eyes shut the entire time. I couldn't even see what color my lipstick was. I was a little worried, I wanted to know exactly how I looked. But then again, I trusted Neena and her sense of style.

She then made me turn around, away from the mirror and started styling my hair. Her nimble hands worked in and out of my thick, dark hair quickly. She started sliding in pins all over my head. What was she doing?

"Stand up." she said. I obeyed her strong sounding voice and let her lead me down to my closet. My closet was almost as big as my room itself. Neena always made me dresses, but we never seemed to retire the old ones. So they just built up here time after time. She fished out a large black dress bag and pulled out a navy blue ballgown covered in mini diamonds. It was beautiful. But it wouldn't trump Caterina, that's for sure.

"Do you like it?" Neena smiled.

"Neena, it's gorgeous." I said. I pretended to be in love with it.

"Sucks. Cause you're not wearing it." she said. She hung it back up and I looked at her with a smile.

"I had a second one made." she said sneakily. She pulled out a thinner black bag and unzipped it. A bright red floor length gown slipped out of it.

"NEENA I LOVE YOU!" I squealed. I hugged her tightly but she shoved me off her.

"Don't you dare mess up that eye make up sister." she laughed. I smiled and let her zip me into the dress. It was amazing. It was strapless, and the top of the bodice was lined with crystals. It was fitted all the way until my hips and then fell silkily down my legs. It too had a slit in the thigh, but not as whore-like as Caterina's. The back was non-existent, the end of the dress resting above my butt, leaving my whole back open and glowing. (SEE DRESS AT BOTTOM OF PAGE)

"There. Now you can look at yourself." she commanded. I ran over to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I looked _damn sexy._ I thought back to lunch and compared myself to Caterina. She looked like a peasant compared to me right now. I would have to do this more often.

My eyes were dressed in dark black and red smokey eye shadow, with a glittery finish. My lipstick matched the shade on my dress and my skin looked flawless. My hair was in a crown braid around my hairline, with little crystal pins along it. The rest of my hair fell in loose girls down my back. I looked amazing. I was ready to go steal a heart.

 **To look at her dress,**


	8. Chapter 8

**IMPORTANT BELOW**

 **SORRY GUYS! The link didn't work last time for her dress but here it is: google this into google images and it should be the first one up: strapless red dress with slit**

Kile's POV

I straightened my thin black tie, Eadlyn would be arriving any second. The Selected boys stood around under neath the twinkling lights that surrounded the gardens. The party was being held outside, and boy was it beautiful; tables were set up everywhere around us with little tea lights and candles and rose petals. It was a very romantic affair, but one full of life and fun. A quartet played lively music on the stage alongside a pianist who lightened the mood. There was also a dance floor, which had to be at least 100ftx75ft wide. What? I was good at measurements, I wanted to be an architect.

The Royal Family started entering through the large balcony doors. The sun was just setting, its luminescent glow making their skin radiant, which of course made them all look more beautiful. Osten and Kaden came down the stairs, itching to run around the gardens from what I could tell. The youngest of the Italian family entered after them, increasing by age. Caterina came out, in a long white dress. She looked like she was about to be married, but a little too scandalous for the church I might say. She looked great, I wasn't gonna lie, and she did catch my eye when she walked in a room. But I didn't feel even a fraction of love for her. She was just someone that kissed me when I was feeling desperate enough. And it was once! Once! The Italians were visiting and anyways, it wasn't like Eadlyn wasn't locking lips with someone else either. The thought of her kissing any other boy me grip my glass of champagne a little tighter. It made my blood boil to think about anyone else touching her besides me.

The Italians still rolled down the stairs, one at a time. How many people were in their family? I wondered. It was taking them forever to just file in to the party. Caterina sauntered up to me and said smoothly, "So." she put a finger on my chest and took my glass of champagne. "If I remember it correctly, you were a good kisser," She raised her eyebrow and was about to take a sip of my champagne before I swiftly took it back and shot at her, "And if I remember correctly, it didn't mean anything."

Her face dropped a little, but she held that permanent smirk, "Yeah, right." she took a step closer to me and said, "Maybe later we could...I don't know...hang out."

I ignored her and stepped backwards, then turned to look at the balcony. Eadlyn stepped out and down the stairs. My champagne glass fell from my hands and shattered on the ground. "Oh my god!" Caterina screeched. "You got champagne all over my white dress!" she screamed. I walked away from her, my feet crunching the glass underneath them. She looked so sexy. I never thought that I'd describe the girl I've known since we were in diapers as sexy, but she was. She smirked at me as she elegantly walked down the stairs. Her mom and dad followed with the King and Queen of Italy.

I immediately took her arm as she got to the last step and escorted her to the dance floor. "You look...so amazing." I said to her. She smiled at me, "Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself." I stopped her in her and pressed my mouth to her ear and whispered, "I don't think you realize, Eadlyn. I don't think you know how hard it is for me not to rip that lovely dress right off of you." I lifted myself up and saw her blush on her cheeks turn slightly darker. We were the first one on the dance floor, I swayed back and forth with her slowly, craving any touch at all that I could get from her.

She was taunting me, looking like that. She was like the water I so desperately needed in the middle of the desert. Feeling my eyes trail up and down her body, she looked down bashfully. But I couldn't help myself, not when she looked the way she did right now. We remained the only dancers for a short amount of time, couples flowing onto the dance floor quicker than I could count.

"So. About tonight." she whispered. "Meet me in our secret place."

POV Eadlyn.

I had spent most of the night dancing with the Selected, occasionally an important other here and there. Henri bounced up to me with a smile so wide it was contagious, "You want dance?" he stumbled.

I nodded and smiled, "Olisis kiva." _I would love to._ I learned the small phrase from Erik earlier today so that I could surprise him. Even though I felt like my choice was clear for the Selection, I had to try until the end to make it more fair.

Somehow, his smile widened when I responded in Finnish and he took my hand gently. I rested a hand on his shoulder and placed the other in his hand. He danced in and out of the people, no words being said at all. I thought hard about sending Henri home. I knew that I liked him, and he deserved as much of a chance as anyone else... but how could I marry someone that I couldn't even talk to. I couldn't live through Erik for a relationship.

When the dance ended, he kissed my cheek and bowed. I lowered my head as he bowed and then walked away. I was done dancing for a while, my feet were throbbing in these beautifully painful shoes. "Eadlyn. You look so cute." a sugary voice said behind me. I rolled my eyes before turning around to face Caterina. I didn't smile, but I didn't frown either. I couldn't let her think that I was upset by her comment, but she also couldn't see a part of me that reinforced her calling me 'cute.'

I smirked a little and saw her face fall a little when she looked at me. I could feel my fiery gaze on her, I didn't look cute at all. I knew that my eyes told her she was playing with fire. "Mmm...I'm a little more than _cute,_ don't you think?" I said silkily.

She stood, a little dumbfounded by my comeback. "You look..." I stared her up and down, pretending to try and find a compliment, "...nice." I smiled at her, showing off my pearly white teeth against my red lipstick.

"Eadlyn," a voice said next to me. I turned my head to see Erik standing with a smile. "Would you like to dance?"

My feet could not take another minute standing in these heels. But I didn't have the heart to turn him away. I took his hand and looked straight at Caterina as I said, "Of course." I let him lead me to the dance floor and hopped in with the other dancers to the slow melody.

"Henri was so happy when he heard me say Olisis kiva. You should have seen the smile on his face." I said warmly.

His face fell so slightly if I hadn't been looking close enough, I might've missed it. "Oh yes, he was quite pleased to hear you say that."

We danced in silence for a minute before I said, "If I ask you this, do you promise not to tell Henri?"

"Of course," he said.

"Do you think I'd be stupid if I kept him here longer?" I blurted out. I didn't know how else to say it.

"Well," His face went deep into thought, "it's hard to say. If you want to choose him, it will be so hard on the both of you because of communication struggles, as you know. I think that if you don't intend on choosing him, by keeping him here longer you're getting his hopes up a little too much. He has such a soft heart, I don't think he could take being led on and then knocked down last minute. He truly believes that the two of you will have a chance."

The song ended and we took a stroll around the gardens to finish our conversation, man were my feet killing me though. "I know. I... don't know if he's the one. And because I do really like him, I don't think I could bear to see him sent home. But on the other hand, I know it'll be so much worse if I keep him any longer."

I rubbed my temples, so confused. "Hey," he said. He took my hands off my face and into his. "You don't have to do anything. He'll be heartbroken if you send him home, but he'll understand."

He hesitantly made himself closer to me and I didn't know what to do. My mind told me that I should pull away, I shouldn't be doing this. But my heart was curious, Erik was so sweet, and kind, and he understood me. SO DOES KILE! My mind screamed. I stood, frozen and terrified. I couldn't move I was so petrified. He closened the distance between us even more, but before he could kiss me, someone came flying in, causing Erik to sail to the ground. Henri started punching Erik in the face and yelling in Finnish at him.

I screamed for him to stop. I tried prying him off Erik but he shoved me back, sending me sailing into the stone ground. "STOP IT!" I screamed. Erik was unconscious, bleeding. Kile must have heard me, because he was the only one who ran over and wrenched Henri off of Erik. Henri pointed at Erik and yelled in Finnish again. I didn't need to understand Finnish to know what he was saying. 'Get off of her, she doesn't belong to you.' I was so sick of feeling like someone's property. All the Selected boys felt as if I was theirs, that they had all rights to me whenever they wanted me. Tears welled in my eyes. "Go home." I said menacingly. Henri looked at me and his eyes softened. " _Go home._ " I said. My face was stone cold as I stared at him. After I got to my senses, I checked on Erik. He had woken up, but his nose was dark blue and was dripping blood. There was a purple bruise growing by the second under his eye and a small cut.

All because he just wanted to kiss me. He muttered to Henri, "Han sanoi, mene kotiin." Henri looked so sad, his head hung as two guards escorted him away. I felt my heart shatter in the slightest bit, I didn't want Henry to leave. But I couldn't forgive him for what he did to Erik. But I touched my lips with my fingers, slightly thankful for Henri's act. He gave me a real excuse to send him home, and he stopped Erik...and myself... from making the biggest mistake possible.


	9. Chapter 9

Kile took my hands into his and stared so deeply into my eyes I could feel him touching my soul. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Yeah...I...I'm fine." I didn't know how to respond. I didn't want to lie to him, not now. Not when everything was perfect. Was it perfect though? I thought to myself about everything that happened. Nothing was perfect. I was madly in love with someone but I still had urges to kiss someone else and I was sad when I had to send someone else home. I had feelings for so many of these boys, and even though the feelings for Kile were much greater than the others, it didn't deny the fact that I still had love for them. Even if it was just a smidgen of my heart.

"What happened," he said painfully. He was no good at hiding his emotions. Ever since he was a kid he hadn't been able to hide the pain, sadness, or happiness in his voice. His eyes bore into mine, I felt seduced under his gaze.

"Erik and I were on a walk...we were talking about Henri...and he leaned in to kiss me.." I stammered, tears threatening to spill. I saw his face fall, but he didn't get mad. He just kept listening to me. "I didn't know what to do...I felt like a small part of me wanted to kiss him...but I don't know...now that I look back at it, I can't believe that I was letting it happen...it was like I-I froze or something. I'm so sorry." I said, my voice exasperated.

"Don't be. After what happened with Hale, I'm sure your mind didn't know what to do. Anyways, its not my place to be upset. It's your Selection. You should be getting to know everyone. Not just me." he said. He said it calmly, but I could hear the slight tension in his voice. I could see how unnerved he was by this.

I nodded. Not knowing what else to say, "Can we talk more tonight?" I asked.

"Yeah. Let's get back to the party." I had hoped mentioning tonight would cheer him up a little or lighten the mood. But it didn't, he barely talked to me the entire night. Every now and then I would glance over at him while I was dancing with other boys to see him talking to Caterina. They laughed together and talked for long periods of time. Even when they stopped, they would eventually find each other again and find a new topic to talk about. I felt miserable. When I sent Henri home, I didn't realize I'd be losing three pieces of my heart.

A couple hours later

I walked into my room after an extremely long party. It was two in the morning and I felt dead. How did the Italians do it so often? I kicked off my heels and reached for my makeup remover. It took a long and painful 15 minutes to get all this gunk off of my face. I hated wearing makeup sometimes. I undid my hair, letting the loose brown waves cascade down my back. My dress was very difficult to unzip by myself but I managed, taking several tries at the zipper. After slipping into a nightgown and robe, a knock on the door sounded.

I opened it slightly, wondering who my visitor was. Kile.

POV SWITCH TO KILE (why can't _I_ have a Kile?)

I stood at her door hesitantly, I didn't know if she still wanted to see me, considering she looked like someone stabbed her in the heart almost the entire night. It hurt me to see that she cared so much about Henri...and Erik. I tried wrapping my head around him liking her and vise versa and how it could have happened, but nothing made sense. I just couldn't see how he felt the need to kiss her. The thought of her kissing someone else made something in me ache, it was like someone was squeezing my heart.

The door opened, Eadlyn barely showing herself. She had taken off her makeup and was in her pajamas from what I can tell. Though I loved the Eadlyn earlier today, this was the person who I was _in love_ with. "Oh." she whispered, opening the door wider. "It's just you." She turned around and walked back to her bed, silently inviting me in. I had to admit, that stung a little. _It's just you._ I walked in, closing the door behind me.

"You said earlier that you wanted to talk more tonight." I said timidly.

She sunk a little lower in her giant quilt, fiddling with her hands. "Umm..Yes. I just..."

I sat down next to her and took her hands in to mine, but she recoiled. I wasn't going to deny my jealousy if she asked, but I had to try and be calm. "You can tell me anything, Eadlyn. Please know that I'm here for you. Don't talk to me like it's me. Imagine I'm Ahren. What would you say to him?"

She couldn't meet her eyes to mine, hot tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. "I could have made the biggest mistake of my life by kissing him. Do you realize that?" she looked straight forward and shook her head til it dropped, hanging low. "I like Erik, and Henri. But I don't love them. I hated seeing them go but I knew it had to happen sooner or later. It just hurts. And I'm mad because it felt like you were...like you were ignoring me the whole night. Every other second I would look over at you and see you laughing and talking with Caterina and I was _so jealous._ I hated it...I don't know. You wouldn't understand."

"I do understand." She looked up at me with disbelief in her eyes, but it was suddenly washed away with realization.

"Oh." she said with a small voice. We sat in an awkward silence until I said, "The only reason why I was talking to Caterina was because she keeps following me around. She's got her eyes set on me. I tried to shake her off, jeez I even dropped a glass of champagne all over her white dress." Eadlyn giggled and leaned on me slightly. "Anyways. I may have spent the night with her. But you were the only person I ever saw."

She nuzzled her head in my side. I wrapped an arm around her so she could snuggle in closer. Her left arm was draped over my stomach. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. For everything. For almost kissing Erik and for being jealous and for everything." she sniffled. I placed my lips on top of her head, feeling her hair tickle them as I kissed her.

"It's okay."

"It's just so hard...seeing you with someone else. From now on, you have to have be within a foot of me at all times. Maybe I should get you a leash." she joked. But she turned serious again. "I don't even know how I feel so jealous. It's like something's eating me from the inside out. I don't understand how I could have gone from hating you one day to feeling like this."

My heart ached for her, I knew what she was going through. I loved her too much to see her like this, I had to do everything in my power to keep her from feeling this way. If that meant never speaking to Caterina again, or any other girl for that matter, I'd do it in a heartbeat.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated really recently. And sorry as well, the chapter today is a little short. Will try to update soon so I don't leave you hanging again. Hope you like the chapter. :)**

I took a look over at my dad, who was sitting next to my mom, his hands over hers as she was lost in an inescapable sleep. Mom had another heart attack, it was unheard of for someone to have another so soon. His eyes were bloodshot and he had dark circles living underneath them. I had never seen my father so torn, so upset. If I hadn't known my father so well, I wouldn't have been able to make out that he kept muttering, "Please don't leave me. I need you." to my mother. Small sobs racked his large body, he rested his head in their intertwined hands.

"Daddy?" I whispered. He looked up at me, his face stained with old and new tears. A couple tears fell down my face, but the second I hit my father's lap, I started sobbing, "I don't want her to go, Daddy. I need her."

"I know, my darling, I know," he cried. His hands still with my mom's, he squeezed me in between them. "I don't know what I'd do without her."

We sat together, crying with each other, not knowing how else to express our emotions.

Once our eyes ran out of tears to shed, and we calmed down a little, I told my dad, "I don't know how much longer I can hold out this Selection dad."

His eyes fell even more, if at all possible. "We have a deal, Eadlyn. Three months. You have to try-"

"Because I know who I want to marry." I blurted out.

He stopped talking and mumbled, "Oh."

"I don't want to have to worry about anyone else anymore, daddy. I just want to be his."

"Who is it?" he asked nervously.

"Kile." I said, looking down. This was incredibly awkward. I knew that someday I'd have to talk to dad about marriage, but the circumstances right now were not what I imagined to go along with them.

"I see. The boy you 'can't stand and hope that he falls off a cliff." He joked. There's my dad for you, even in the worst of situations, he knew how to make me smile.

"I was so young when I said that dad!" I exclaimed.

"That was only four months ago." he said. A small giggle escaped my mouth and he gave me such a weak smile that I thought he would shatter into a million pieces. "You have my blessing." I smiled and squeezed him tighter. I couldn't ask for a better dad in the whole world.

Two days later

I walked into the hospital, seeing my dad with my mom. Naturally, his hands were closed around hers, his mouth near her ear whispering words of wisdom. "Mom?" I asked, my voice wavering. She looked over at me with such a weak smile that it felt like my heart would be the one to shatter.

Her eyes were so dark against her pale, sickly skin. Her usually fluorescent hair was dull, dead looking. This was not my mom. This was an imposter. My mom was beautiful, strong, independent. "Hi honey." she croaked. I ran over to her and cried in her lap. I hated seeing my mom this. She was supposed to be the strong one, now I was. She brushed my hair, soothing me with small hushes.

"It's going to be okay." she whispered, rocking me in her arms.

"No it's not, Mom." I cried. "You're in the hospital, you've had two heart attacks and you're not even old. Nothing is okay."

"I know. I know, baby. But it _is_ going to be okay. No matter what happens." She said calmly, her usually melodious voice now weak and strained.

"Mom. I already talked to Daddy, but I'm going to propose to one of the Selected soon. And by soon, I mean in a few days." I said.

"Oh darling, I knew Kile was the one!" she said, a small burst of energy flowing through her.

"How did you know?"

"How could I not know?" she said warmly. I buried myself in her arms, not getting enough of my mother.

"Mommy," was the only thing I could say. Maybe because I didn't know how much longer I would have to call her that.

Three days later

I walked around the gardens, waiting for Kile to show up. My hands were white and clammy, there were billions of nerves rushing through my body and brain as I tried to comprehend what I was about to do. I paced back and forth, questioning whether or not I should do this. Cameras were being set up, ready to capture the moment it happens. I saw Kile walking down the garden path. I quickly stopped pacing and smoothed out my lavender sundress. Everything had to be perfect.

He smiled that crooked and dorky smile at me as he greeted me for a hello kiss. It lasted longer than I expected, his sweet mouth moving up and down against mine as we embraced each other. He left me breathless, standing by only the support of his arms. "Hello to you too." I whispered.

"How's your mom?" he asked softly, his lips not but a centimeter from mine.

"Better. She's awake...she's just...not well." I left it at that. "But I don't want to talk about that. Not today."

He nodded and stole my lips one last time. We then walked down the garden paths, enjoying each other's silent company before I said, "Kile?"

Cameras around us zoomed in and clicked. I swallowed hard before saying, "I love you."

"I love you too, Eadlyn." he said, lifting our hands to his lips for a gentle kiss. "I wish there was some other way to show you or tell you."

"I know exactly how you feel. I don't feel like three words could ever suffice as a way to show you how much love I have for you. So maybe two words will work. Marry me?" I said quickly. Nerves shook my body as he stopped walking. I searched his eyes, finding so many emotions. I couldn't pinpoint the one he was really feeling.

I felt so exposed, as if every barrier I had ever built around myself for protection was knocked down with two simple words. He put his hands on his forehead, covering his eyes, causing my stomach to drop to my feet. Oh no. It was too soon. I knew it was too soon.

He removed his hands quickly and looked me straight in the eyes, "You stole my line." His lips were on mine so fast I could barely comprehend it. I melted into his arms, which were wrapped around my waist and the other around my back. He held the back of my neck as I laced my fingers into his hair. Relief washed over me like a tsunami, all the regret and pain gone and lost forever. "Yes," he breathed, "A thousand times yes."

I laughed, my lips still dangerously close to him, letting tears roll down my cheeks. I cried in his arms, laughing all the while. He lifted me off the ground and laughed with me, spinning me around in circles. These tears weren't ones because of sadness. They were because I was so happy, I didn't know how else to react. I hadn't realized how much I needed and craved love when I didn't have it. But when I got my first taste, I couldn't have enough. It was a hunger that was never ending, a fire that never stopped burning inside me. The flames of our love were setting a fire so big inside me I could barely survive. But I wouldn't want anything else.


	11. Chapter 11

**VERY Short chapter tonight, and for that I'm sorry. But it's a really great one. Hope you enjoy it.**

Slightly dipping my head backwards as I giggled, I let Kile carry me up the stairs to his old room. He kissed my neck rapidly, leaving a million pecks on my skin. I laughed harder and harder, not having felt this kind of happiness in what felt like a long time. We reached his room and he slammed the door shut, wasting no time. He slung me around his body so that I had my legs wrapped around his torso. He kissed me with so much fire, I was afraid I was going to be burned by his touch. He pressed my back to the wall, his warm lips moving against mine so intensely. I melted like a candle to his touch, my body molding around his perfectly.

His touch never felt so amazing, so needed. I felt like every muscle, every nerve in my body was on awake. I couldn't get enough of him, my body craved more and more as he continued to kiss me. Still in his arms, he carried me over to the couch and laid me down. I tugged at his shirt as he lay on top of me, kissing every square inch of my skin, setting it on fire. He lifted his shirt off swiftly, allowing my hands to have free reign over his soft and sculpted chest. His lips slowed, the fire in our kisses died down, but still left a warmth between the two of us. His hands combed through my hair as did mine, "I love you Eadlyn. I really love you. Which is why, I have to propose as well." He lifted his head above mine, barely, and continues, "Eadlyn Schreave. I have had a hate-love relationship with you since the day you were born." I chuckled and he brushed a stray hair off my face. "But I think our relationship hasn't changed since then. Maybe the love part is a little bit stronger but man, are you spoiled." I laughed even more, counting the numerous times he's called me spoiled and bratty. I didn't realize until now that it wasn't out of hate.

"But I love you. I love you more than words could ever describe. I don't want to spend a single day on this earth without being able to call you mine." I sat up, and rested in his lap as he kissed me softly and slowly before saying, "You're my sun, my moon, _and all of my stars_. Will you marry me?" He pulled out a ring so beautiful that it took my breath away. I nodded, tears welling in my eyes faster than I could blink them back. "Yes of course," I laughed. "I asked you first remember?"

"I know. But it's traditional for the man to ask, is it not?" He smiled, slipping the beautiful ring on my small finger. It was breathtakingly gorgeous. (Google Image Search: 18k White gold three stone pear shaped ruby engagement ring : to check out what it looks like)

Tears streamed my cheeks as he said, "I know how much you loved that your parents had their birthstones in their rings. I also know how much you wanted that, so here it is. Because you were born in April, a diamond." he pointed to the middle of the ring. "And for me, January, a ruby." He pointed to the glittering ruby. "Do you like it?" His eyes were so hopeful, so sweet.

"I love it. I love you." I said, pressing my wet face against his in a kiss.

"I love you so much, Eadlyn. I feel like 'I love you' doesn't even sum it up." he whispered. "I love you, my darling."


	12. Chapter 12

I opened my eyes, remembering the events of last night as I laid in Kile's arms. My back was pressed to his stomach, his arms protectively closing me in to him. Euphoria spilled over me, gushing from every crevice of my body. I was getting married. Finding true love was something I had always secretly wanted. It was a desire so secret of mine that I even convinced myself that I didn't want it. But I couldn't imagine a day without having found love, without having found Kile.

I felt his nose bury into my hair and shortly a kiss on the back of my head. "Good morning, darling." he whispered in my ear, leaving a small kiss on the lobe of my ear. I shrunk back into him, a small giggle escaping me.

"Good morning." I said, reaching my hand back and resting it on his cheek. I brushed his morning scruff with my hand, feeling the rough hairs on his cheek. I would get to feel this oddly soothing feature on him every morning for the rest of my life. "I have to get up. I still have a selection going on. Breakfast will be weird if we don't show up."

"Selection?" he said with a gruff voice. But it quickly changed into something playful, "No, no, no, no, no! You're mine!" He kissed my neck and squeezed the side of my stomach. Wrenching in his arms, my body began having spasms as he tickled me more and more.

"Stop it!" I laughed. "No! I know, I'm yours, I'm yours! Quit it!" Laughing until my sides hurt, I squirmed in his embrace. He kissed me on the back of my neck before releasing me.

"Just making sure." he grinned. He hopped out of bed and went into his bathroom. I knew I had to go and get ready, and I wouldn't leave if he was here to keep me. So I dashed out his room to my own, I had to get ready for breakfast. But before breakfast, I had to tell my parents. I ran into my room, Neena was already there, all my things set out and ready to get ready.

"There you are! Ugh, let's go you need to get ready quick!" Neena said.

She scurried with me to the bathroom and did my makeup simply but quickly. She fashioned my hair into an elegant bun on top of my hair and fastened pearl pins around it. I slipped into my favorite dress, I wanted to feel like a Queen today. It was a blush pink color that looked amazing against my skin. Its tulle skirt had countless layers and the bodice was tight fitting to my torso. **(the first image on google: vintage 50s rappi pale pink strapless tulle full skirt party wedding d...)** It was amazing. I placed my dazzling creme heels on **(christian louboutin heels cream patent leather d'orsay peep toe pump -...)** and headed out the door. I went straight to the infirmary, where I found my mom and dad sitting together. Mom was still in there, not getting better. She wasn't having any heart attacks, but her condition was worsening.

"Hey honey," my mom said, her voice still crackling as she spoke. "You look so lovely!" She took a look at me but her eyes stopped when she saw my left hand. Tears started welling in her eyes, and a smile came to place across her cheeks. My dad sat still, a shocked look on her face. They both knew that I was proposing, but they didn't have any idea that Kile did as well.

I squealed and ran over to my parents. "Look mommy, it's just like yours. I held my hand out to her, she ran her thumb over my ring, looking at it with such a bright smile on her face.

"Oh, sweetie," she gushed, "It's perfect it really is." She nodded and laughed when she saw my dad's face, tears were welling in his eyes a little. "Maxon." She rubbed his back with her frail hand. "Our baby is getting married."

"I never thought I'd be able to see this." He said. I laughed and jumped into his lap, I wanted this moment to stay forever. I never wanted my parents to leave, I never wanted to quit being in love with Kile. The only thing wrong with this oh-so -special moment was Ahren. I felt a little hole in my heart where he should be. But I didn't want him here. I was still unbelievably mad at him for leaving. Deep down, I knew that him leaving was what pushed me to finding love, but it was also what made mom have a heart attack. And that is something I could _never_ forgive.

He not only broke mom's heart, quite literally might I add, but he broke mine.

Fast-forward to the next week

A large ball was being held in honor of our proposal. Because it was traditional for the man to propose, but it was my selection, the world already knew of our proposal. There were pictures taken of my proposal that were shown on the report as well as portraits of the two of us, with our rings of course. The people of Illea were dazzled. No rebel attacks, no raids, no acts of violence. Everything was at equilibrium. Mom was getting better, I had fallen in love, Dad was actually getting sleep, everything was perfect. The selected boys were sent home the day after I got engaged, they were devastated. I felt bad, but I honestly couldn't care, I was so in love with Kile that everything slipped from my mind.

I was about to walk down the grande staircase in the ballroom. This would be the first event in my life where my parents walked out before I did. This was truly my night. _And I loved it._ I was dressed in a long, silky ballgown that was absolutely stunning. It had a slightly off white colored fabric and simple creme sash that tied in a small bow to my back. Neena turned yet another one of my designs into something amazing. I looked like an envision of a bride. Just less extreme. **(Watters "Gabrielle" via Mia Bridal Couture)**

I took a deep breath, about to walk out to meet my prince to be. My feet carried me fast so my mind wouldn't tell them to stop. I stopped at the top of the stairs and looked for Kile. My eyes searched the crowd and as I looked for him, I realized that the entire room had gone silent, staring at me. I descended down the stairs, still looking for Kile. Last minute, as always, he showed up at the bottom of the stairs, waiting to take my hand.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hello there everyone. So sorry it's been so long since I've updated. My life has been crazy since then and I don't feel like replaying it for you guys. Here's a new and long chapter for you all! Happy reading~**_

I looked up at my beautiful princess, taking in the warm glow in her skin, her shining black hair, and her beyond perfect body. It's crazy to me that no less than just a year ago, I was looking at her like the snooty, stubborn, stuck up girl in thought she was. But she's so much more than that. So much more than just a beautiful body as well. She had a beautiful heart, mind, and soul. Her inner beauty radiated to the world more than the sun radiated heat. And she was all mine. To love, to hold, to cherish for the rest of my life.

Gripping the magically sculpted railing, Eadlyn looked over the crowd, her eyes were searching. Her composure softened when her wandering eyes met mine. Holding out my arm for her to take, I whispered, "Eadlyn, you look amazing tonight."

"Thank you." She whispered back, her eyes illuminated from the inside.

"And guess what is so special about tonight?" I asked, leading her towards the ballrooms dance floor.

"What is that?" She softly giggled.

"I don't have to share you tonight. Not for one minute. No other guys that need to be danced with, no important embassy that you need to leave me to go talk to. You're all mine." I whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek.

"Thank goodness." She sighed. "Cause I don't think I'd be able to leave you." She rested her head on my chest and began to sway with me to the music. I kissed the top of her head and held her body close to mine. How did I end up so lucky?

Later that night.

"Can we go to your room?" An impatient Eadlyn asked. She tugged on my hand and pouted her bottom lip. How could I say no to her?

"Sure." I said. "Lets go."

She smiled brightly and held on to my arm, leaning against me as we walked. Once we reached my room, she opened the door and walked in, comfortable in her surroundings. We had been sleeping in my bed for the last week or so, with her all snuggled up against me. And we usually kissed a little bit before that happened.

Almost feeling like a perfect routine, I turn her around and press my lips on to hers. Her body melts into mine and caves against me. I part her lips with mine and hold out the kiss as long as possible before closing the gap between us again. Her hands rest against my chest while mine hold her to me closely. I slowly lift her up so that she's straddling my waist, legs wrapped around me. Walking her over to the bed, I lay her down underneath me, never breaking the kiss.

Her small frame disappears under my large body. I wanted to feel, to love every square inch of her skin, and I wanted her to feel mine. When I am with Eadlyn, its like all the wires in my brain have been unplugged except for one; because when I am with her, she's the only thing in my life that seems to make sense.

She kissed me one more time so softly it felt like she was teasing my lips. "I want to see your drawings." she whispered, afraid to break up this wonderful moment, but wanting to indulge herself in another. Her lips were still dangerously close to mine, and it felt hard to answer rather than kiss her again.

"Of course. I've actually been working on a couple new ideas that I wanted to show you." I said, getting up to get my sketches. She quickly trailed behind me, landing on the old couch in the corner of my room. I sat down next to her, but she immediately placed her small body in my lap. Draping an arm around her waist, I pulled her in close. It was moments like this that made me love her more than the world.

"These are some ideas for the wedding ceremony." I pulled out a sketch of the isle and the alter. I had sketched out every detail to the footing of the chairs our family would be sitting in. "And of course, it will be fabulously decorated by you."

She sat in silence, taking in the entire sketch. "It's amazing. We have to give this to my wedding planner. It will be perfect to set up in the gardens. Kile, this is perfect!" Tears were welling in her eyes when she turned away from the sketch to me. She placed a delicate hand on my cheek and kissed me. "I love it."

"Really?"

"Yes! I love it. And I love you."

"I don't believe you." I said, a slow smile creeping on my face.

"Ugh! What the heck, Kile?"

"I don't believe you." I repeated.

"Why?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Prove it." I challenged. She scoffed and set the paper on the desk next to us before turning around and straddling my lap.

"Fine." She smirked. All of a sudden, her hands were tangled in my hair and her lips were on mine, her mouth weaving in and out fiercely. I hadn't seen this kind of passion or fire from her yet. I held her back with my hands, rocking her on top of me.

But she stopped, all to suddenly and then whispered. "Was that good enough proof for you?" A playful smile lingering across her cheeks.

"Nope. Not enough." I concluded, picking her up and walking towards the nearest wall to press her against. She laughed and kissed me again, with equal force as before. Her hair draped around us, somehow shielding us from the world, making this moment so special it felt like a secret.

Eadlyn's POV the next day.

"No, I specifically said silver and blue, not gold and blue." I said assertively. "I thought I made that very clear." I rubbed my temples with my fingers and sighed. Wedding planning is not easy. Although weddings brought joy and love to people's lives, I never thought that it could also bring stress and frustration. And today was only the first day.

"Right away, your highness." the mousy looking wedding planner said. Ms. Penny Ward was one of the top wedding planners in all of Illea, but when she was working with the Royal Family, she tended to get really shy. She immediately got on the phone and started barking orders to god knows who about the mistake in chinaware. When she wasn't addressing me, she was loud and assertive. I don't know whether or not I should be grateful for this...

Once she hung up she walked back over to me, "So, the same design of plate but with silver instead of gold, correct?"

"Perfect. Now let's go through the wine and champagne glasses we are going to be ordering. I think we should do just plain and clear crystal with a thick silver band at the top of the rim. Classy, but simple!" I proposed. Penny typed things into her phone at a rapid pace that made me worried for her fingers.

"Got it. I've also put in the table cloth order, plain white, as you asked. And the personal cloth napkins, white with blue trim? Correct?" She squeaked.

"Yes. And we also need to start looking at flower arrangements for the centers of the tables. I was thinking blue and white roses? We can add a little silver shimmer dust to them so that they sparkle." I said. Even though it was another weight on my shoulders, wedding planning was exciting.

The idea of marrying Kile in two short months was simply magical. My mind slowly drifted from wedding planning to just being with Kile. Every minute we were apart felt like something was wrong. It felt like in the giant puzzle that is our relationship, there was a piece missing. When we were together, I felt complete. Thoughts of Kile's arms around me and his lips on mine made me swoon.

Unfortunately, Penny pulled me out of my lovely daydream, "Your Highness, should we go start looking at the options for the meal and cake?"

"Yes. That sounds great. I will meet you in the kitchen, I have a small errand to attend to." I said, needing to see Kile, even if it was just for a minute. She nodded and smiled, even though she was quiet with me, she knew me like the back of her hand already. I guess she really gets to know her clients quickly, being in this business. She headed towards the kitchens and I made my way to Kile's new office. As prince to be of Illea, he had jobs to attend to now. Dad has been teaching him the basic ropes of running a country, so that he can assist me when I am crowned Queen. Without realizing it, I was in a full dash to see him. I came stumbling in to his office, a full grin on my face.

But his face was less than happy to see me. In fact, he looked worried for me, an almost protective like face washed over him. But the second I saw what he was worried about instantly made my happiness drop to the pit of my stomach. Ahren.


	14. Chapter 14

Ahren.

"What are you doing here?" my voice cracked. Seeing Ahren right now was the last thing that I wanted.

"I heard you were getting married. _Through the news._ " he said coldly. "I was just wondering why you didn't have the decency to tell me personally."

Boiling tears began to build up inside me faster than an erupting volcano. He did _not_ just go there. "I don't have decency? **_I_** don't have decency?" I fumed. "HOW DARE YOU! You're the one who told me you were eloping and leaving me _THROUGH A LETTER. How_ _dare you._ You didn't deserve to be told personally you jackass." Tears were falling down my face but I wasn't sad. Not one bit. Anger was spewing from me left and right. And boy did Ahren look afraid.

"I didn't tell you I was leaving because I knew if I did, you wouldn't have been willing to find a husband. I did it for you." He yelled.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY YOU DID IT FOR ME." I screamed. "You didn't do this for me. You did it for yourself! To go marry Camille! _You're the one mad at me for not telling you about getting married but at least I was going to invite you to mine!"_ At this point, I was only inches away from my brother, but I wasn't close enough. I wanted to be screaming so close in his face he would be uncomfortable.

"I did do it for you Eadlyn. You aren't always right-"

"So say you did do it for me." I spat. " Did you think about the other consequences that would come along side it? Dad and I had to tackle twice the amount of your work. He hasn't slept more than a few hours a night in weeks. Our little brothers have been asking me everyday when you were going to come home. If they would ever see you again. _You broke mom's heart."_ my voice got shallower. "Literally broke it. The night you left she had a heart attack. She's been in and out of the hospital ever since you left." Tears willingly dripped down my face. I turned to Kile, forgetting he was here the whole time.

"Kile I'm sorry." I choked. I turned back to Ahren, but he hushed me with his voice. "You're lying to me. You're lying to get me to feel bad for you-"

"I'm lying? I would pretend that mom is on the brink of death just to make you feel bad? No Ahren, you're doing a great job at doing that yourself-" a harsh hand interrupted me, hitting my face. It sent me sailing to the ground, but a sharp pain hit the back of my head before I laid, motionless on the ground. By the second, my senses were being robbed from me; my vision, my hearing, and my voice were draining from me like water in a sink. I could make out the shouts from Kile and Ahren, as well as a third voice: Dad. Daddy help me! I wanted to scream. But all I could do was lay still, trying to listen to the muffled voices and trying to see the blurry bodies that stood before me. But soon, all of my senses, even the pain escaped me. Leaving me spiraling, I was now surrounded in darkness.

* * *

I looked down at my beautiful Eadlyn, even though she looked ghostly right now. A yellow-greenish bruise sat on her usually pink cheek and a large bandage was placed on the back of her head. When Ahren slapped her, she hit her head on the corner of the wooden desk as she fell down. I remember all the blood she lost, even though she barely hit her head. I squeezed her hand in mine, hoping she would wake up soon, but not wanting to disturb her. Ahren sat across from me, watching for his sister to wake up. I knew he felt bad, but I could see the sick horror in his face when he realized the actual damage he did to his sister and when he found out that his mom was actually in the hospital.

Even though all I could feel was resentment for the way he treated Eadlyn, I still felt for him. We had grown up together, best friends. I didn't want to see him like this either. I eyed the gold band around his finger and thought of the day I'd have one for Eadlyn.

Penny, the wedding planner, came to me earlier about if I had seen Eadlyn. But once I told her about what happened, she got stiff, as if her best friend had gotten hurt. But she nodded and continued to plan things out and order more plates and stationary for invites.

The wedding was already making Eadlyn stressed, and seeing Ahren, and having that fight with him didn't help things.

Her hand stirred a little and her eyes squeezed together tighter, "Kile?" she asked. Her eyes stayed shut but her hand squeezed mine gently.

"I'm right here, baby." I said, lifting her hand to mine to kiss it. She began whimpering a little, before whispering, "It hurts, Kile."

"I know, I know. I'm here." I soothed. She opened her eyes but immediately shut them again.

"Get him out of here." she snapped. I looked up at Ahren with eyes that said, I'm sorry.

He looked as though someone hit him in the gut but stood up and walked over to where his mom was staying.

"Is he gone?" she asked.

"Yes. I know you two are fighting right now, Eady," I rubbed her hand, "but he feels really awful about what he did."

"I know he does. But I'm not ready to forgive him." she said, her eyes opening up again. Her large doe eyes looked at me deeply. I knew she was having trouble with Ahren right now.

"Oh good you're awake." a doctor said. "You are good to go whenever you want. Stay in bed for the day but tomorrow you will be as good as new. Ice your face and try not to touch or feel the back of your head. It needs to heal properly." he nodded without another word and returned to his other patients.

I swiftly lifted Eadlyn into my arms and carried her out of the room. For once, she didn't argue or fight it, instead she just rested her head on my shoulder. As stubborn as she was, I couldn't help falling in deeper in love with her every move and breath.


End file.
